Blairs attend tsunami Mass at Westminster Cathedral

Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie was among those who attended the evening Mass yesterday at Westminster Cathedral offered for victims of the tsunami. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was the chief celebrant. The multi-faith congregation included a minister from the Thai embassy, as well as ambassadors from Sweden and Germany. Cardinal Cormac said he wanted the victims "to know that their sorrow is shared by the rest of humankind." Praising the generosity of people following the disaster he urged everyone to consider what they could do to help the bereaved rebuild their lives. "As individuals we can do so through our prayers and generosity. Governments can do it by sustained aid efforts," he said. He also called for "imaginative initiatives" to relieve the burden of debt on poor countries by improving the terms of trade. He said: "I hope that we shall now have new eyes to see, and respond to, the daily tragedy of the 30,000 lives that are lost to poverty and hunger, to the 1.5m lives a year that it is within our power to save."