UK News
Insights from the UK and beyond
from FaithWorld:
UK’s Archbishop Vincent Nichols welcomes “historic” papal visit
Pope Benedict will make his first visit to Britain as head of the Roman Catholic Church on September 16-19. This will also be the first official papal visit to the country. Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, talks with Reuters about the trip in the context of the Church's child-abuse scandal, tensions with the Anglican Church and planned protests.
(Photo: Archbishop Vincent Nichols (L) and the prime minister's special representative for the papal visit, Chris Patten, July 5, 2010 in London/Peter Macdiarmid)
Here's our news story on the interview -- Archbishop of Westminster says pope not fishing for Anglicans -- and below are excerpts from the transcript.
Q: The pope is due to arrive in Scotland shortly. What keeps you awake at night about the visit?
A: Actually I feel at the moment quite relaxed and looking forward to this visit very much, and I think this is true of a lot of people. I think we are well prepared, I think most issues have been settled and agreed, and I get increasingly a sense within our society that this is a significant moment. A visit that is profoundly historical in its nature, and I believe that when the pope comes he will be warmly received and attentively listened to. We do have great character of hospitality towards guests and he is a guest of her Majesty the Queen and I think society will respond accordingly.
from FaithWorld:
Catholic Church and UK colluded in Northern Ireland bomb cover-up: report
(Photo: Nationalist youths set a car alight in Belfast on July 13, 2010/Cathal McNaughton)
The British government and the Roman Catholic Church colluded to protect a priest suspected of involvement in a 1972 bombing in Northern Ireland that killed 9 people, an official report said on Tuesday.
The Police Ombudsman's report revealed that an Irish cardinal was involved in transferring Father James Chesney out of British-ruled Northern Ireland, highlighting again the role of the Church hierarchy in protecting priests against allegations of criminal activity.
Blame or redemption for Christians in financial crisis?
Does being a Christian make you a better banker? Former Bank of England employee John Ellis raised the possibility during a church discussion in London on the financial crisis.
The Treasurer of the United Reformed Church pointed to the relative stability of HSBC — despite market speculation about its capital adequacy — compared with the parlous state of some of its rivals.
-
The Wall
