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Friday, 25 June, 1999, 17:16 GMT 18:16 UK
Basil Hume: From monk to Cardinal
In February 1976 a Benedictine abbot, Basil Hume, was plucked from the relative obscurity of a Yorkshire public school to become the new Archbishop of Westminster, the de facto Catholic leader of England and Wales. At the time he admitted his unease. "When my name began to be prominent, I was surprised," he said. "When I got the news I was shattered!" Basil Hume was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1923. The son of a Protestant heart surgeon and a French Catholic mother, he was educated at Ampleforth College and Benet Hall, Oxford.
The contemplative life came to an abrupt end with his appointment as Archbishop, and later Cardinal, in 1976.
Cardinal Hume had a close relationship with the Pope, despite having a more liberal outlook than the Pontiff. He emphasised the Church's role in fighting for social justice and his efforts on behalf of the Guildford Four, wrongfully convicted as IRA bombers, helped lead to their release.
Despite an increasingly close dialogue with Canterbury, the Anglicans' acceptance of women priests still stood in the way of church unity. On other issues Cardinal Hume was more equivocal. He condemned homosexual acts, for instance, while conceeding the validity of gay love. Cardinal Hume was the epitome of an English gentleman though his tastes also lead him to a lifelong love affair with squash and Newcastle United Football Club. He faced his final illness with impressive dignity. And, despite a steep decline under his leadership of those going to mass and priests coming forward for ordination, Basil Hume succeeded in making the Catholic Church in England and Wales more fashionable than it has been since the Reformation. Disclaimer: The BBC will put up as many of your comments as possible but we cannot guarantee that all e-mails will be published. The BBC reserves the right to edit comments that are published. |
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25 Jun 99 | Cardinal Hume funeral
25 Jun 99 | Cardinal Hume funeral
17 Jun 99 | UK
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