Cardinal Nichols, other British religious leaders decry racial hatred

July 05, 2016

In a letter to The Times, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, joined by three other religious leaders, lamented racial hatred.

“So many of the political, social and economic consequences of the result of the European Union referendum remain unknown but, in less than a week, increasing reports of intercommunal discord and racial hatred are cause for the gravest concern,” Cardinal Nichols, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, and a leading Shia cleric said in their joint letter.

“For all that lies outside of our personal control, every person has the power to conquer their own instinct to apportion blame to others for perceived injustice,” they added. “Today we call upon every citizen of our great country to recognize personal accountability for their every action, rather than avoiding that responsibility by looking for scapegoats, and to challenge racial and communal prejudice wherever it is found and thus ensure that we are, more than ever, a country united.”

 

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Further information:

• Cardinal Vincent Nichols calls for personal responsibility and opposition to racial and communal prejudice (The Catholic Church in England and Wales)
• Cardinal Nichols fears racism after Brexit vote (CWN, 6/28)