Hundreds of people gathered in London’s Russian Orthodox cathedral on Sunday to witness the consecration of the building, conducted by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
As many as 1000 people, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, attended the historic service at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints in Knightsbridge.
The service followed a major refurbishment of the cathedral and also commemorated the 300th anniversary of the Russian Orthodox Church’s arrival in the British Isles.
During the service Patriarch Kirill prayed for “all the Saints who shone forth in the British land” and dedicated the Orthodox hymn Many Years to Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom and Russia.
The Patriarch was also due to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace, prompting some concern from Russia-watchers given the Patriarch’s ties with President Vladimir Putin.
Labour MP John Woodcock told the Daily Mail that it was “very troubling” for someone so closely associated with the current Russian government to be welcomed to Buckingham Palace at a time when Russia is supporting a “murderous Syrian regime”.
In an address after the service on Sunday, Patriarch Kirill said: “The Church is a community open to everyone, erases all human controversies. Even a very rich man stands next to the poor one, high-ranking officials stand next to the common people.
“The Church should also play a role in international relations. Through faith, through the Church the soul of a nation is manifested.”
Late Herald editor Gerard Noel was an evangelist, says cardinal
The late Catholic Herald editor Gerard Noel was “an evangelist” whose whole life was imbued with the Catholic faith, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor has said.Preaching at a memorial Mass for the author and journalist at St Patrick’s, Soho Square, last week, the cardinal said: “Gerry lived a good life. His Catholic, Christian faith enabled him to face death, as we all must do.”
Noel, the only person to have edited the Catholic Herald twice, died in July, aged 89.
He wrote more than 20 books, including biographies of popes, saints and royalty.
The cardinal said that he first met Noel at a Gilbert and Sullivan performance when he was a student at the English College and Noel was trying his vocation at the Beda in Rome.
The cardinal recalled that his friend had once told him he was preparing a book on “the bad popes of the Renaissance”.
“I said to him: ‘I hope that after that you will write one about the good popes of the Renaissance. There were some.’ He said: ‘Well, I’ll try.’
“In a way Gerry was an evangelist,” the cardinal said. “His Christian faith influenced his whole life.”
Stamp out slavery, urges May
Theresa May has reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to ending human trafficking.At a ceremony at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the life of William Wilberforce, the Prime Minister said she wanted Britain to “lead the world” in efforts to “stamp out” “this despicable trade” for good.
It was her third speech on the subject since becoming prime minister. Cardinal Vincent Nichols also spoke at the event.
