Pope Francis has given his blessing to the mass ros­ary prayer along the coast of Britain on Sunday April 29. Archbishop Edward Adams, apostolic nuncio to Great Britain, said that the Pope “presents His greetings to all those persons participating in the Rosary on the Coast for Faith, Life and Peace in Scotland, England and Wales… assuring them of His spiritual closeness to them in their prayers”. The Pope imparted his Apostolic Blessing on all who will participate in the event “as a pledge under the protection of Our Blessed Lady”. The Rosary on the Coast foll­ows similar mass prayer events in Ireland and Poland last year. The organisers, who hope tens of thousands will attend, say the rosary will help combat the “present threats to faith, the dignity of the human person and to peace”, and encourage a “re-flourishing of our Faith” in the British Isles. The event in Poland saw hun­d­­reds of thousands of Cath­ol­ics gather at around 4,000 locations to commemorate the centenary of the apparitions at Fatima, and implore protection for their homeland and for the world. But several media outlets, including the BBC, saw the event as a rallying-point for Poles opposed to mass immigration. It took place on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, instituted after the prayer brought Europe a victory over a Muslim army at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Last month, Cardinal Vincent Nichols sent his best wishes to organisers of the British rosary, while Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth thanked them for their “important witness”.