In what was one of the more bizarre things to happen yesterday, Andy Burnham met the Pope and gave him a Manchester United shirt.
And people were, understandably, quite puzzled by the whole thing.
It goes without saying that if you were one of several thousand people who saw the now-viral pictures of the Mayor of Greater Manchester meeting the head of the worldwide Catholic Church yesterday in the Vatican, then it’s only natural you’d probably questioning as to why.
Especially when you throw into the mix the fact the Pope was also given a signed and framed Manchester United shirt of Argentinian defender Lisandro Martínez as a gift.
But despite the public confusion, there was actually a very good reason as to why Andy Burnham was joined by several of Greater Manchester‘s other civic leaders and members of the faith community as he met Pope Francis in the Vatican City yesterday – and it was all to pledge a commitment to tackling climate change ahead of Earth Day 2023.
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Burnham and the other leaders were given the chance to discuss with the Pope how Greater Manchester is making efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
They then also made a formal commitment in his presence on the action they pledge to take in future.
Greater Manchester faith and civic leaders have gathered at the Vatican this morning to meet with Pope Francis. They will discuss how Gtr Manchester is tackling climate change and pledge commitments for the future. Full story here: https://t.co/Z1G4oMhiJI#OurFaithOurPlanetpic.twitter.com/izygDfgOQV
The group was led by Bishop of Salford John Arnold and Dean of Manchester Rogers Govender, and as well as Burnham, was also made up of the Lord Mayor of Manchester Donna Ludford, Bishop of Manchester David Walker, Gorton MP Mohammed Afzal Kahn, and Chair of the Manchester Climate Change Partnership Mike Wilton.
City Centre Methodist Minister Reverend Ian Rutherford, Rabbi Robyn Ashworth Steen from the Manchester Reform Synagogue, environmental officers from both the Diocese of Manchester and Salford, and members of the Sikh and Hindu communities also attended.
This is why Andy Burnham met the Pope and gave him a Manchester United shirt / Credit: Andy Burnham (via Twitter)
“This is the first time that all the faith leaders of Greater Manchester have come together with civic leaders to agree our pledge for a greener Greater Manchester region,” Mayor Andy Burnham explained after the meeting yesterday,
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“It will give me great pride to be at The Vatican to witness the historic moment our faith and civic leaders make our commitment to the Holy Father.”
Although the reason as to why he was given a signed Manchester United shirt as a gift hasn’t exactly been confirmed, the fact Pope Francis is also from Argentina just like Lisandro Martínez, this does give some context.
Gracias al @ManUtd y @AndyBurnhamGM por entregarle mi camiseta a su santidad el papa Francisco, por quien siento un gran respeto y un orgullo enorme como argentino! 🙏🏼♥️ pic.twitter.com/EqK868eixe
Martínez said of the meeting on Twitter: “Thanks to Manchester United and Andy Burnham for giving my shirt to His Holiness Pope Francis, for whom I feel great respect and enormous pride as an Argentine.”
He was apparently also given a Manchester City shirt as well, probably for a bit of equal representation, although this detail didn’t go quite as viral, and it hasn’t been confirmed which player’s name was on the back of the shirt.
Featured Image – Manchester Cathedral
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Greater Manchester’s heritage railway issues statement as it’s forced to cancel services this week
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway has been forced to cancel its services this weekend due to the heatwave.
In case you hadn’t heard, Amber Extreme Heat warnings and heat-health alerts have been issued by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) through to Thursday this week – with temperatures widely exceeding 35°C nationwide, and in some areas – particularly on the south coast – potentially even reaching 38°C.
Heatwave conditions in the UK are met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with temperature values meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold for that location.
It does seem, however, that northern parts of the country – especially the North West – are missing most of the extremely hot conditions.
Current forecasts indicate that the peak temperatures for Greater Manchester this week will be tomorrow and Thursday, with highs of 33°C in the city centre.
Despite not reaching the heights of the south, East Lancashire Railway (ELR) has still had to act in advance and has taken the decision to cancel its scheduled services for the next two days as the forecast is ‘too severe’.
Taking to social media to share its decision today, ELR wrote: “Due to the current weather warning for the UK, the decision has been taken to cancel all services on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th June 2026, including the afternoon tea and mid-week luncheon dining experiences.
“The welfare of both staff and customers is paramount to the ELR, and we believe that the risk in the extreme heat that has been forecast is too severe to allow for the running of our ordinary services.”
As things stand, ELR says its current plan is to have services resume with the evening dining train on Friday 26 June, but this will still be ‘subject to review’, and further updates on this will be issued later in the week.
Visitors who have already pre-booked services over the two cancelled days will be contacted via email to have their options explained to them.
“We apologise for any inconvenience,” ELR closed out its statement.
Featured Image – ELR
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TfGM issues safety warning and advice for travelling on public transport during extreme heat wave – including ‘get off’
Daisy Jackson
Transport for Greater Manchester has urged passengers to ‘stay safe’ when travelling as the city braces for an extreme heatwave this week.
As well as issuing some safety advice, TfGM has also warning that delays and disruption are possible across the network as temperatures climb as high as 36ºC on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Customers are being advised to carry water with them when travelling, and to wear light clothing.
Also included in the travel advice is to ‘get off’ public transport at the next stop if you feel unwell, to seek fresh air.
It’s also advised to allow more time for your journey and to check the latest information and advice before setting off.
And most importantly, passengers are asked to look out for each other, especially those who are vulnerable.
The Bee Network may experience disruption later this week as the overhead lines that power the trams and trains are often adversely affected by high temperatures.
TfGM’s Customer and Growth Director, Fran Wilkinson, said: “Very high temperatures are forecast this week that can affect both people and the transport network.
“We will have staff out to help those who need it, and I would encourage customers to take a few simple steps to stay safe and comfortable while travelling, such as by carrying water, travelling at cooler times of the day and looking out for others.
“Due to the heat, there may be some disruption to Bee Network or local train services and I would encourage people to check for the latest information and advice before making their journey.”
TfGM advice for travelling in heatwave
Carry water and drink plenty of fluids
Avoid travelling during the hottest part of the day where possible
Wear light clothing and stay in the shade
If you feel unwell while travelling, get off at the next stop and seek fresh air
Plan your journey, check for the latest information and advice before setting off and allow extra time to make your journey
Look out for other passengers who may need help, especially those who are more vulnerable
Bee Network staff will be out across the network to help passengers, who can get the latest travel information and advice by checking the website or app.
Emily Sergeant -
21st April 2023 
