Outbreak marked with service of peace and repentance

THE CENTENARY of the outbreak of the First World War was marked at Westminster Abbey on Monday with a service focusing on peace, repentance and reconciliation.

It stood in contrast to what took place 100 years ago at the abbey, when prayers were said asking God to “prosper the forces of our King and country”.

Details of the 1914 Service of Intercession were printed on the back of the order of service for the Solemn Commemoration of the Centenary of the Outbreak of the First World War, which was attended by the Duchess of Cornwall, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and church leaders including Cardinal Vincent Nichols.

In a foreword, the dean of Westminster, John Hall, wrote that the commemoration was an opportunity to remember the “last moment of peace before the United Kingdom declared war on Germany”, and at the beginning of the service he urged repentance as “we reflect on the failure of the human spirit that led to an inexorable slide into war”.

The readings came from Scripture, war poetry and other writings from the period. The readers included Bishop Petra Bosse-Huber of the Evangelical Church in Germany who said a prayer for peace and “healing among nations”.

Cardinal Nichols, who read a prayer at the abbey, also celebrated a Requiem Mass at Westminster Cathedral on Monday for those who died in the First World War.

In his homily, Cardinal Nichols recalled the 37 priests from the Archdiocese of Westminster who served as chaplains during the war and the former diocesan treasurer, Fr Maurice Carton de Wiart, who went to his home country of Belgium after it was invaded and reported back on the atrocities.

He also likened the trends leading to the start of the war in 1914 to troubled parts of the world today: these included the desire to preserve power and protecting national identities.

The cardinal said: “We recognise today these same patterns. We know how vulnerable and precarious are many situations in our world today. So we continue our prayer, our prayer for peace, in Syria, in the Holy Land, in Libya, in the Ukraine, in Africa, in so many places.”