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A - GYou are in: London > Faith > Communities > A - G > Catholic London  Westminster Cathedral Catholic LondonThe history of the Catholic Church in London is almost inseparable from that of the Church of England. Find out how the diversity in the cultural make up of London has affected the Roman Catholic Church's members.  Roman Catholic Alter Many of the churches now used by the Church of England were originally Catholic Churches and changed denomination during the reign of Henry VIII. He had no doctrinal problems with the Catholics and separated from the Roman church only to obtain a divorce from his wife, Catherine of Aragon. Did you knowRecently the London Oratory celebrated the Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, known as the Red Mass, at Westminster Cathedral in October 2008. The service provides an occasion for those working in the legal profession to pray to the Holy Spirit to guide their work over the coming year. The congregation is usually made up of Catholic barristers, solicitors, policemen, probation officers and other professionals related to the courts. One prominent example is Southwark Cathedral, which was surrendered to King Henry VIII by the last Prior, Bartholomew Linsted, in 1539 and then became a Protestant Anglican Cathedral. Until this point the whole English Church system had been governed by Rome, the Pope and Catholicism.  The Catholic Church in London is currently split into two sections, with each Archdiocese presided over by an Archbishop. The Archdiocese of Westminster covers the Greater London boroughs north of the Thames, west of Waltham Forest and Newham. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor is the Archbishop of Westminster. The Archdiocese of Southwark covers south of the River Thames and also includes Kent and North Surrey. The current Archbishop is the Most Reverend Kevin John Patrick McDonald, the 3rd Metropolitan Archbishop of Southwark, who was installed on 8 December 2003. Each Archdiocese is divided into parishes, which make up London's local communities of Catholics.  Pope Benedict XVI gave words of strength The diversity in the cultural make up of London has grown and changed in recent years, mainly due to the rise in immigration. This rise has greatly affected the Catholic Church and its membership, increasing it significantly. People of Irish descent have always made up a large proportion of London’s Roman Catholics, but at one time it wasn’t uncommon to see elderly Spanish or Italian women, dressed in black clothes with black scarves and carrying their Rosaries, or prayer beads. Today though, many in the Catholic communion come from Poland, or further afield, from Africa, Latin America or the Philippines. Consequently, the vast majority of Catholic congregations comprise many different nationalities. Each of these communities brings with them their own cultural identity. In some Catholic Churches today you will find Mass spoken in a number of different languages; Nigerian, Chinese, Spanish and traditional Latin. There is a Polish Catholic Church in London, which only caters for Polish people, with all Mass being spoken in Polish. Although these communities are very culturally different they are linked together spiritually through their faith. This is partly why the Catholic Church is sometimes called the 'Mystical Body of Christ', because supernatural bonds with one another unite its members and all have Christ as their Head.  Our Lady of Compassion Catholic Church, in Newham Jacek Palasinski, a Polish Vaticanologist told us: "Given that the majority of Catholics now live outside Europe, it is highly likely that the next Pope will come from another continent." The Catholic Church has consistently condemned abortion and is opposed to embryonic research, but has publicly supported adult and umbilical-cord stem-cell research and Church leaders were among the first to applaud the discovery of amniotic stem cells and to call for further research.
The Catholic hospital of St. John and St. Elizabeth and Cormac Cardinal Murphy O'Connor are under fire for having allegedly agreed on a code of ethics that does not exclude abortion referrals or contraceptive prescriptions. The said it was "proud of its Catholic heritage," but was "committed to an ecumenical philosophy" and that under the instructions of the General Medical Council, it was obliged to continue the referrals. Two of the most renowned Catholic buildings in London are the magnificent Westminster Cathedral and the London Oratory. The architecture of Westminster Cathedral makes it distinct from other London landmarks, because of its Byzantine style of the eastern Roman Empire rather than the familiar Gothic style of our native cathedrals. The famous London Oratory (more popularly known as the Brompton Oratory) is the second largest Catholic Church in London. Every Sunday, more than 3,000 people worship in this enormous church, including the rich and famous. One of the most famous converts to the Roman Catholic faith is former Prime Minister Tony Blair. His wife, Cherie Booth and their children are already Catholic and there were rumours he would leave the Anglican Church after he departed from office.  Maundy Money As a result of his break from the Catholic Church, Henry VIII created a very unstable religious situation. The structural changes he made to the English Church (Church of England) meant that the ruler of England was also the head of the Church.  Tony Blair When James I became king, some Catholics believed that he would attempt to reunite with the Catholic Church. When this failed to transpire, some extremist Catholics became angry and made plans to blow up the houses of Parliament; hence the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. The plot was discovered and one of the conspirators, Guy Fawkes, was caught red handed. Because of the plot, many people came to dislike Catholics. Despite much historical conflict, the tensions that existed between Protestants and Catholics have largely been eradicated in London. Nevertheless, the law still states that the Monarch cannot marry a Catholic. According to the Act of Settlement, those in the line of succession who marry Roman Catholics automatically forfeit their place in the line. When Peter Philips, the Queen's oldest grandchild and son of Princess Anne, became engaged to his Roman Catholic fiancée, she converted to Church of England so that he did not forfeit his place of 11th in line to the throne. Many Catholic parents still prefer to send their children to a Catholic school. In the Diocese of Westminster, there are over 200 Catholic schools, including 163 Primary, 39 Secondary and 18 Independent schools. A recent report stated that 81% of primary schools and 78% of secondary schools in the Diocese of Westminster were judged by Ofsted to be good or outstanding (against the national average figures of 60% and 53% respectively). Catholic schools serve every one of the most deprived wards in London, at both primary and secondary level. Previous Ofsted research also reveals that Catholic schools are more successful than other schools in the areas of pupils’ attitudes, behaviour, relationships and freedom from bullying. last updated: 08/10/2009 at 12:59 SEE ALSOYou are in: London > Faith > Communities > A - G > Catholic London 
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