The Archbishop of Westminster has attacked politicians’ “shameful” response to conflict in Syria as thousands of Christians around the country gathered this weekend to pray for peace.
Speaking on BBC Radio Four’s Sunday programme Archbishop Vincent Nichols criticised the leaders of the G20 group of nations for failing to reach an accord when they met in Russia last week.
“That these summits have taken place and leaders stop and watch firework displays and fancy dress parties is shameful,” he said, in a reference to events at last week’s G20 summit.
He spoke out against military intervention and called the notion of limited military action “a nonsense”, adding that politicians campaigning for a military response had not given a clear reason why.
“There are 4 million displaced people within Syria, that’s half of London, and there are 2 million refugees, that’s the whole of the north-west conurbations, everybody from Liverpool and Manchester and the suburbs. This is the issue. This war has to be brought to a halt,” he said. Continue reading