By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS Staff Journalist During the first papal visit to the UK since 1982, which is scheduled for 2010, Pope Benedict XVI will find a warm welcome at Buckingham Palace by the Queen is said to be “appalled” by the liberal leanings of the Church of England and growing “increasingly sympathetic” to the Catholic Church. According to reports by The Catholic Herald and the London Telegraph, Pope Benedict XVI will be staying at Buckingham Palace as a guest of Queen Elizabeth during his 2010 trip to the UK. Various sources are reporting that the Queen, along with the Prince of Wales, is “appalled” with developments in the Church of England which has become increasingly liberal in recent years. The Queen recently belied her spiritual leanings when tossing her support to the heads of a traditional Anglican group, saying she “understood their concerns” about the future of the increasingly fractured global Anglican church. The move surprised many because one of the leaders of the group she chose to support had been accused of being “homophobic.” The idea that the Queen may be warming to Catholicism is being reported in the British press as coming from unnamed “senior sources at the Vatican.” In any event, the Pope’s trip will be historic. Invited by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during a private audience in February, this will be only the second visit by a head of the Catholic Church since Henry VIII declared himself head of the church in England more than 500 years ago. A spokesman for the prime minister said he was "delighted" and "it would be a moving and momentous occasion for the whole country". While no date has been announced, it is expected to be a six day trip similar to the one undertaken by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, in 1982 that drew huge crowds.  There are an estimated 4.2 million Catholics in England and Wales. Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, said he had long hoped for such a visit. "I'm sure I speak on behalf of Anglicans throughout Britain, in assuring him that he would be received with great warmth and joy," the Archbishop said.  © All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace®  http://www.womenofgrace.com