The most senior Catholic clergyman in the UK has lent his support to an Ash Wednesday prayer vigil, which will be held outside the Ministry of Defence buildings in central London.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh wrote to Christian peace campaigners to let them know of his support for the scrapping of Nuclear weapons.
The Cardinal wrote: "Like so many people of good will, I share those thoughts and words of Pope Benedict XVI when he indicated that we should be replacing Trident, not with further weapons of mass destruction, but rather 'with projects which bring life to the poor'.
"A challenge does indeed face us all in the United Kingdom at this present time - leadership is called for - and hopefully, with the tremendous efforts of people like yourself, that leadership will soon come, giving an example to all nations in the world."
The Ash Wednesday protests have been on-going for 30 years, as Christians continue to call for the ending of the UK’s arsenal of nuclear weaponry.
Campaigners say that the British government has 225 nuclear weapons, and ministers are now looking at whether or not they should replace the outdated Trident nuclear programme.
The issue is being brought into even sharper focus with the question of Scottish independence, as Faslane, the naval base which is home to the four Vanguard submarines fitted with Nuclear missiles, is in Scotland.
Now campaigners say they will risk imprisonment in order to gather in an act of repentance over our government’s nuclear weapons policy, and to pray for ‘a change of heart.’
February 21st, 2012 - Posted & Written by Simon Cross
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