Christians gear up to mark Great War anniversary

Peace groups around the country will call for an end to war as Catholic and other religious leaders join vigils, services and commemorations to mark the centenary of Britain’s entry into the First World War on Monday.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols will celebrate a Requiem Mass for the Fallen of the First World War on Monday at Westminster Cathedral. He said: “It is especially poignant to remember the centenary of the Great War, which was meant to end all wars, at a time when so many people are still suffering from violence and the ravages of war, particularly in the Middle East and Africa.”

Cardinal Nichols is due also to attend a vigil at Westminster Abbey at 10 p.m. on Monday in a service that will draw upon Sir Edward Grey’s remark that “the lights are going out all over Europe”. The Duchess of Cornwall will represent the Queen at the vigil as the abbey moves from light into darkness until one candle remains at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, to be extinguished at 11 p.m., the exact moment of the declaration of war.

At the same time, the First World War Peace Forum, made up of groups including Pax Christi, is also encouraging people to tweet #nomorewar at 11 p.m. on Monday. Vigils will take place the same day at St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, London and in Liverpool, Grassington, Skipton, Glossop, Glasgow, Bath and Oxford.

The white poppy, favoured from the late 1960s as a way of showing both respect for the fallen and a strong anti-war ­sentiment, will take central place in a prayer service recommended to parishes and groups by the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh to mark the centenary.

Under the heading “Remember, Repent, Reconcile”, the service offers prayers and meditations on conflict and “peace-building”.