News briefings Britain and Ireland

Pope Leo designated St Mary’s Pro Cathedral in Dublin as the official Catholic cathedral of the archdiocese on the bicentenary of the church’s dedication on 14 November 1825.

The cathedral will now be known as St Mary’s Cathedral. Archbishop Dermot Farrell said the new name might take some getting used to: “It’s been called the Pro for 200 years, so I don’t expect it to change overnight.” The prefix Pro, short for Pro Tempore, had been used to indicate its provisional status amid plans to build a new Catholic cathedral in Dublin.

The Burtons’ Memorial in Mortlake, a Catholic mausoleum that combines Christian and Muslim symbolism, is being fully renovated for the first time in more than three decades. It was designed by Lady Isabel Burton as a tomb for her husband, Sir Richard Burton, a prominent Victorian explorer, soldier, linguist, and writer. The work on the Grade II-listed monument, which stands in the graveyard of St Mary Magdalen Church in Mortlake, Richmond, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. It is led by Habitats and Heritage, a Richmond-based charity that protects the historic and natural environment of south and west London. 

The Bishops of Scotland have welcomed Luisa Campbell as new general secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland. The first lay person and first woman to take on the role. In parallel with her working career, Campbell has been actively involved in the life of the Church in Scotland at both parish and diocesan level in youth work, parish administration, liturgy, evangelisation, RCIA and finance. She retired early from work as a chief executive in industry in 2020 to pursue voluntary work in the Catholic Church.

The Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain said Pope Leo XIV does not intend overturning Pope Francis’s restrictions on celebrating the traditional Latin Mass. On 13 November, Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía said Pope Leo told him he would not abrogate Francis’s 2021 letter Traditionis Custodes limiting celebration of the liturgy according to the 1962 comment. The archbishop added that the Pope would also grant the bishops who request a two-year, renewable exemption. An official from the Dicastery of Divine Worship said the exemption constituted “no more than a restatement of the practice of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments since the motu proprio (‘Traditionis Custodes’) came into force.” 

The Diocese of Portsmouth has launched a public consultation in Jersey to explore reducing the number of parishes on the island. The consultation which is being held until 23 November.

A team of Year 13 students from The Douay Martyrs Catholic Secondary School has won third place in the Cancer Research UK Convergence Science Centre Schools Contest, held at Imperial College London. The competition challenged students to develop a technology innovation that would make the cancer treatment journey more supportive for patients focusing on emotional wellbeing, guidance, and comfort. The Douay Martyrs team, consisting of Chiwen, Harshil, Kyle, Emily and Ridwan, created “NeuroLens”, an original concept for smart glasses designed to support cancer survivors in managing stress and anxiety following treatment. 

Theos has called for religious education to be encouraged and facilitated “in a far broader range of contexts than just the classroom”. Theos surveyed professionals across a range of sectors to find out the benefits and challenges they encountered when raising awareness of religions and worldviews among children and adults. The report highlighted the importance of multifaith religious literacy in a range of settings, including youth work, mental health provision, end-of-life care, community and refugee services, as well as schools. Hannah Rich, author of the report, said, “In a time of growing division, where religion is often seen as a problem, religious education cannot and indeed does not only take place within the scarce hours it is afforded in the classroom up to the age of eighteen.”

Churches joined the response to last week’s flooding, particularly in south-east Wales, after Storm Claudia caused breaches of flood defences in Monmouth and other places. Monmouth Methodist Church offered shelter to around 60 people evacuated due to flooding. The congregation offered hot drinks and began a donation drive. One woman aged 102 had been evacuated from her home at night with nothing but a nightie and a pair of shoes. The church hall soon filled with toiletries, clothing, blankets provided by the local community. Representatives from a mosque in Cardiff arrived with a large donation of towels.

Religious leaders gathered at a Downing Street reception on 12 November for Interfaith Week. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said, “I’m more worried about cohesion across our country now than I’ve been for very many years. My message to you is that we want to work with you on this.” 

Christian leaders in attendance included Archbishop of Canterbury-designate Dame Sarah Mullally, Coptic leader Archbishop Angaelos and Churches Together in England’s Bishop Mike Royal. The Catholic Bishops were represented by director of partnerships and public affairs, Marie Southall.

A former priest of Arundel and Brighton Diocese has been found guilty of indecent assault of a minor. Anthony White, 67, subjected the boy, then aged under 14, to repeated abuse at his home in the late 1980s. White received a three-year sentence from Guildford Crown Court and is currently serving a 10-year-sentence after being convicted in 2022 for historic sex offences, following an investigation by Sussex Police. 

In his first Irish episcopal appointment, Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Niall Coll, 62, of Ossory to lead Raphoe diocese. A former professor of Religious Education St Mary’s College in Belfast and lecturer at St Patrick’s College Carlow, he succeeds Bishop Alan McGuckian, who in 2024 was transferred from Raphoe to Down and Connor. In St Eunan’s Cathedral last week, Bishop Coll said returning to Raphoe was “both humbling and profoundly moving”.  Raphoe diocese has 33 parishes and covers most of Co Donegal.

More than 2,000 people visited the relics of St Thérèse and her parents, Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, at the Dublin parish of Laurel Lodge in Castleknock over the weekend. St Thérèse was canonised 100 years ago this year. An exhibition of memorabilia relating to “the Little Flower” and her family was also hosted by the parish in conjunction with veneration and confessions. 

“They were days full of graces and blessings, warmth and shared stories of how Thérèse has been an inspiration and soul friend to many, rediscovering how we all can be ‘love at the heart of the Church’”, parish priest, Fr Damian McNeice told The Tablet. Pope Pius X described St Thérèse as “the greatest saint of modern times”.

Sixteen denominations were represented at the 35th Irish Inter Church Meeting in Dromantine Retreat Centre, Newry which reflected on 1700 years of reciting the Nicene Creed and its importance for living faith today. Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, spoke in his address about the importance of the first Nicene Council when one holy universal apostolic Church was visible.  Recalling the 21 Coptic Christians martyred in Libya, he said that if we understand that God’s image and likeness is in every person, then we need to advocate for those who are persecuted for their religious beliefs, irrespective of differences on doctrine and belief. 

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