THE funeral of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor will take place next week at Westminster Cathedral, the Diocese of Westminster has announced.
Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, who was the former leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales and the second most senior Catholic in Britain, died on Friday, September 1, aged 85.
His body will be received into Westminster Cathedral with a service at 10am on Tuesday, September 12, before lying in state there throughout the day.
A spokesperson for the Diocese confirmed: “All are welcome to visit to pay their respects, pray and sign the book of condolence.”
Later that day Cardinal Vincent Nichols will celebrate the Solemn Vespers of the Dead, a service open to the public which takes place at 5pm, where Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham will also preach.
“The cathedral will remain open until 8pm for visitors who may wish to pay their respects,” the spokesperson added.
The Requiem Mass and burial will take place at noon the following day, September 13, celebrated by Cardinal Nichols.
He will be joined by Archbishop George Stack of Cardiff, who served as an auxiliary bishop for over ten years under Cardinal Murphy O’Connor and will preach the homily.
The funeral mass will be a ticket only service “to allow as many parishes and schools of the diocese to be represented as possible”, the Diocese confirmed on Monday.
The former Archbishop was born on August 24, 1932 in Reading as one of six siblings to Irish parents from Co. Cork.
He was ordained Bishop on December 21, 1977, and translated to Westminster as 10th Archbishop in 2000, before being made a Cardinal in February 2001 and becoming Archbishop Emeritus in 2009.
At the time of his death Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor lived in west London.
The parish church of Our Lady of Grace in Chiswick, West London, where the cardinal spent much of his retirement, will also receive the cardinal’s body at 8pm on Sunday, September 10 for parishioners and visitors to pay their respects,
At noon the following day, Monday, September 11, Bishop Mark O’Toole of Plymouth will celebrate Mass at the church, before the cardinal’s body is removed to Westminster Cathedral.
There will be a further opportunity for people to attend a memorial Mass for Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor on Wednesday, October 4 at Westminster Cathedral.
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