A line from the Salve Regina – “after this our exile” – took on particularly poignant meaning for Catholics who heard it sung at Vespers in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace on Tuesday night. For it was the first time in 450 years a Catholic service had been held there. That it was a special moment of reconciliation was reinforced by the Anglican Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, who preached at the service, when he said to the celebrant, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, beforehand: “Welcome home, Cardinal.” There have been other moments of reconciliation between Anglicans and Catholics in recent years, including the bishop and the cardinal praying together in the cell in the Tower of London where St Thomas More was held. Benedict XVI and the then Arc
11 February 2016, The Tablet
Milestone on the road
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