Cardinal's Homilies
It is a great pleasure for me to celebrate with you, today, the 150th anniversary of the Catholic Truth Society (CTS). I thank the CTS for their kind invitation, and in particular, I thank all of you who have come to the cathedral, this afternoon,...Read more
Who can ever forget the images of the burning Grenfell Tower? They are seared into our imagination. They touch our hearts so deeply. Indeed, they break our hearts. With the passing of time, they do not lose their power. What we see, in reality, in...Read more
In the five years, so far, of the time of Pope Francis, one remarkable initiative stands out: his decision to call the Church to observe a Year of Mercy, from 2015 to 2016. What a response that had! It revealed, all over the world, a great hunger ...Read more
Given at the canonical erection and blessing of the Diocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament, at Corpus Christi Church, Maiden Lane on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, 3
Today is one of the great Feasts of the Church, full of resonance. Its rea...Read more
Christ is our Light in every darkness. This evening we seek to renew our life in him. This we do together, for faith in Jesus cannot be lived as a solitary individual; he calls us into the Church. This evening we stand alongside those who, very sh...Read more
The Cross we contemplate this afternoon is indeed wondrous beyond words. As the Cross is lifted before us, in the words we have heard and in the actions that follow, we can but be filled with wonder.
Isaiah said so in that first reading: 'The c...Read more
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Some time ago now, when I was visiting a parish in North London, I asked a lady why she wanted to become a Catholic. She explained that for years she had been coming to church with her Catholic husband and now wanted to be fully part of what...Read more
This Chrism Mass is my favourite moment in our year. It is so important and special. There is something very wonderful about this full Cathedral, about the feeling of a gathered diocese, a diocesan family. And I am always deeply touched by t...Read more
Today we begin our celebration of Holy Week, walking in step with our Lord and Master, Jesus, the Christ.
We have begun with His entry into Jerusalem, with its shouts of Hosanna, re-enacted in our procession into the Cathedral.
This event to...Read more
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,Â
Leprosy is a terrible disease, still disfiguring many people and communities in the world today. In the Readings at Mass today we hear a great deal about leprosy. We heard, in the Book of Leviticus, ...Read more
My sisters and brothers, if we were celebrating this day tomorrow, as we really should be, then we would have just heard the cry of Simeon uttered in the Temple in Jerusalem. We remember that 'guided by the Spirit', Simeon took the child in hi...Read more
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,Â
I hope that during these last few days you have managed to visit the crib. It's still there, waiting for you to make that visit, especially today, on the Feast of the Holy Family.Â
Come with me and l...Read more
On this night of festivities and holiday let the recent words of Pope Francis ring out clearly:Â
'Christmas is the feast of faith in the Son of God who became man in order to restore us to our filial dignity, lost through sin and disobedienc...Read more
Christmas Reflection 2017
The journey of the Magi to Bethlehem was not easy. As TS Eliot wrote: 'A cold coming we had of it, just the worst time of the year for a journey, and such a long journey: the way's deep and the weather sharp, the ver...Read more
There are words of St Paul that often gnaw away at my conscience, especially on occasions as splendid as this. St Paul cries out: 'Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel' (1 Cor 9:16). His warning troubles me, as I am sure it does many bishop...Read more
These words from Psalm 26 are to be found on the inside page of our Mass booklet for this Requiem Mass, immediately below the names of our brother priests for whom we pray this evening: Canon John McDonald; Canon Charles Acton; Canon Peter Gilburt...Read more