CATHOLIC leaders yesterday confirmed the Pope WILL celebrate an open mass for 100,000 worshippers at Glasgow's Bellahouston Park in September.Tickets for the event will be dished out to all 450 parishes in Scotland based on their attendances - and EVERY church was urged to "take up its full allocation".
Bishops expect more than half of the 185,000 Catholics who go to Sunday services across Scotland to be able to attend the packed mass on September 16.
Thousands more are expected to line the route of the Pope's motorcade through Edinburgh earlier.
It will be Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to Scotland and the first papal visit since John Paul II's trip in 1982.
The Bishops' Conference of Scotland said: "The Catholic Church welcomes the confirmation given by Glasgow City Council that Bellahouston Park will be available for the visit of Pope Benedict.
"The park provides a wonderful venue for a tremendous event."
The Bishops also said they welcomed the appointment of Lord Chris Patten to oversee the Pope's UK visit.
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