Catholics bishops in England and Wales want the Government to justify closing churches in the latest lockdown. All places of worship must end acts of collective worship. There are exceptions – for limited-attendance funeral ceremonies, to broadcast acts of worship, for individual prayer, for formal childcare/school and for essential voluntary and public services, eg food Read more
Approaching history with openness and balance will help the UK to avoid tensions surrounding race in the future, says Cardinal Vincent Nichols. The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales says the way people learn about the past needs an overhaul. Nichols says he has “spent time listening to people” and learned that Read more
Two UK church leaders have written to the Israeli Ambassador and the British Prime Minister, criticising Israel’s government’s proposed plan to annex Palestinian land this year. The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, both oppose Israel’s plans for Israeli armed forces to unilaterally annex parts of the West Read more
Catholic churches should be allowed to reopen before Pentecostal churches, or mosques owing to their different styles of worship, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster says. At the moment places of worship in England and Wales come under step three of the government’s recovery strategy. This means they will not be allowed to reopen Read more
The Charity Commission is putting the safeguarding organisations of Catholic dioceses under the spotlight following growing concerns about the way they are managed. This week it revealed to The Tablet that it is considering holding an inquiry into Westminster archdiocese, in the light of damaging evidence that has emerged about its handling of cases of Read more
Lawyers acting for almost 50 child sex abuse victims have called for the resignation of England’s Cardinal Vincent Nichols. The lawyers, Richard Scorer of Slater and Gordon, and David Enright of Howe and Co, made the call in a letter to The Tablet. In the letter, they say ‘the Catholic Church‘ is failing its safeguarding Read more
The Prince of Wales will travel to Rome to attend Cardinal John Henry Newman’s canonisation at the Vatican next month. “As one who has been a lifelong champion of the spiritual in everyday life, to promote understanding between faiths, and who has sought to alleviate poverty and disadvantage through his charitable work, the Prince of Read more
The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, stands accused of putting the Church’s reputation ahead victims of child sex abuse. The accusation, 20 June, came in a government inquiry report. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) concluded that children could have been saved had the Catholic Church not “repeatedly failed” to alert the police Read more
There is no such thing as a normal marriage Cardinal Vincent Nichols told the World Meeting of Families in a keynote address. “Everyone is different” and all married couples will go through periods of difficulty. Fragility and brokenness are part of that. Couples and families often need resources and support, Nichols said, although they should Read more
The first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner in Britain has resigned after four years in the job. Commissioner Kevin Hyland says government interference in his role in the Vatican-sponsored Santa Marta Group led to his resignation. “At times independence has felt somewhat discretionary from the Home Office, rather than legally bestowed,” his resignation letter says. “I hope Read more