Amid all the pomp and ceremony of the Pope's visit, one moment stood out for me: the address welcoming Benedict made on the steps of Westminster Cathedral by Paschal Uche, a 21-year-old student of Nigerian origin from London's East End. So eloquent, clear and charismatic was he, I imagined maybe he was a drama student, an aspiring actor, but no; the superb way in which he delivered his speech derived solely from his faith, and sense of occasion. It was truly moving, and great to see a talented individual thrust into the spotlight amid the usual detritus clogging up the airways.
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Peter Whittle is director of the New Culture Forum and author of Look at Me: Celebrating the Self in Modern Britain, Private Views: Voices from the Front Line of British Culture, Monarchy Matters and, most recently, Being British: What's Wrong With It? (Biteback).
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