Cardinal Vincent Nichols has said that if Britain leaves the European Union it would create “complex problems”. Speaking at the end of the spring meeting of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, the Archbishop of Westminster said that the path of division “almost inevitably leads to further division”. The cardinal said: “There is a long tradition in Christianity and Catholicism in particular of believing in holding things together. So the Catholic stance towards an effort such as the EU is largely supportive. “If the vote was to leave Europe I think we would face more complex problems and greater difficulty in finding our role in response to it than we would by playing an active and vigorous part with partners within the EU.” He accepted that his comments “basically answer” the question of how he would feel about a Leave vote, implying that he sides with Remain. Cardinal Nichols’s statement went significantly further than the resolution passed by the bishops’ conference, which did not encourage a vote in either direction. The statement stressed that the EU was founded on the principles of peace, subsidiarity and solidarity. “Our decision in the referendum should thus be taken in the context of how best we can promote justice and peace,” the bishops said. They continued: “We must ask ourselves, in the face of every issue, what will best serve the dignity of all people both within Europe and beyond.” Recalling that “Europe has a 2,000-year-old Christian culture that has shaped the continent and is a dynamic spiritual, moral and intellectual resource as we address the future”, the bishops suggested that people should pray before casting their vote.