LONDON – The Archbishop of Westminster yesterday urged Catholics to remain “brave and courageous” in professing the faith as he prepared to step down from his post as the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor (76) said it was difficult for people to hear and experience the presence of God in a “very secular” society.
He added: “Yet everywhere I go, and I meet people who are not necessarily fellow-Catholic or Christian, they often want to talk to me about the meaning of their life, the hopes they have for themselves and their children.
“Our message, which is the message of good news for the poor . . . is so important that we should understand that each one of us has to be brave, courageous, in the profession of our faith.”
The cardinal’s remarks were made in a pastoral letter to Catholics in the Westminster Archdiocese, where he has begun a series of “farewell” Masses.
He was made archbishop in 2000 and elevated to the position of cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
He had previously served as Bishop of Arundel and Brighton for 22 years.
The cardinal, who has been a bishop for nearly 32 years, will be the first Archbishop of Westminster to retire from his post since the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in the 19th century.
The Vatican is expected to make a decision within the next fortnight on who will replace him.
A series of names has been the focus of speculation. Among them are the Archbishops of Birmingham and Cardiff, Dr Vincent Nichols and Dr Peter Smith, the Bishops of Leeds, Nottingham, and Paisley – Dr Arthur Roche, Dr Malcolm McMahon, and Dr Philip Tartaglia – and the Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, Dr Bernard Longley.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne born Fr Paul McPartlan, an academic at the University of America, has also been named a possible contender, as has Archbishop Paul Gallagher, a Vatican diplomat and a priest in the Archdiocese of Liverpool. – (PA)