Advice for Catholic Pilgrims about facing the media today!

I've just been off the phone to Fiona O'Reilly from Catholic Voices (http://www.catholicvoices.org.uk/home), who had appeared at a televised news studio interview, and she offered me some excellent, top advice for me as a pilgrim regarding the media, which I really want to share with you!

At the London Papal Media Centre yesterday alone, I found out that there were 700 media passes to be collected. This doesn't include the media passes being distributed by the Edinburgh Media Centre... so beware... there will be a lot of media at Bellahouston Park! You might even encounter a journalist wanting your take on things.

If you ARE heading to Bellahouston Park today, then here's some sound advice for when you are asked to be interviewed by the media:

• Be yourself! Today, the media has the desire to engage with Catholics, and to have a conversation with us. They want to capture the views, the thoughts and the feelings of mainstream ordinary Catholics like you and I. There's 5 million of us in the UK - so we have a voice to share our faith with!

 That was Fiona's advice to me. Now this is my advice... I guess more to myself than anyone else, but wanted to share it with you anyway!

• Respect others' opinions! United by our faith whilst being all sorts of demographics, ethnic origins, age, sexual orientation, and even opinions of Church teachings, we all still have a voice. We may not agree with each other on certain things, but we must respect each other as JC taught us to. 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
• Joyful noise! If you are happy, then show it! This might be a once in a lifetime chance to show your joy of being a Catholic publicly! Smiles all around would just look so totally cool!
• Don't be afraid! ... to show your devotion through items of clothing, or jewellry, or banners that give the impression you are Catholic :) I'll have my Benedict XVI CWA hoodie on, rosary bracelet, St. James' shell earings and pilgrim wooden cross necklace showing proudly!
• Don't comment if...  you feel uncomfortable about discussing something they've brought up. You should never feel pressurised into talking about anything you don't want to talk about. Could always refer them over to Catholic Voices to talk about that.

So that's some advice for my fellow pilgrims at Bellahouston today on media interviews!