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Cardinal Cormac praises London police


The Archbishop of Westminster has praised the tact and dedication of the police in dealing with the bereaved relatives of London's bomb victims. His remarks follow a visit on Saturday morning to the temporary mortuary opened by the Metropolitan Police at the Honourable Artillery Company, City Road, on 11 July. The mortuary contains the corpses and body parts of those killed in the explosions on three Underground trains and a bus on 7 July. Relatives of the victims have been making their way to the mortuary, where they are received by Salvation Army volunteers. Some wish to see the remains; others prefer not to. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor praised the delicacy of the operation. "I was hugely impressed by dedication of the police in such difficult circumstances, and the consolation offered to the bereaved," he said. He described how the grieving relatives are taken into a quiet room and carefully listened to and supported. "It could not have been done better," he said, adding: "I was very happy to go there to say thank you to those who are working there." The Cardinal last week offered comfort to the Catholic families of two of the victims, 26-year-old Anthony Fatayi-Williams and 22-year-old Ciaran Cassidy. Both of their funerals take place this week: that of Cassidy at the family's parish church of St Mellitus, Tollington Park N4 at 11am on Friday; that of Fatayi-Williams at Westminster Cathedral at midday on Saturday. Messages from the Cardinal will be read at both. The Cardinal said he had been moved by his conversations with the relatives of both. "Our hearts go out to these families, who have lost their only sons. I can only express my hope that God will console them at this time of huge pain and grief." Anthony's mother Marie is a Catholic whose Muslim husband is the grandson of the former Chief Justice of the Nigerian Federation, Atanda Fatayi-Williams. Her pleas for peace following the news of her son's death at the hands of terrorists have become emblematic of the message of the grieving families. She said yesterday that she wanted to give Anthony's death meaning by setting up a foundation in his honour. Provisionally named The Peace and Conflict Resolution Foundation, it will have bases in London and Mrs Fatayi-Williams's home country, Nigeria. 'I don't want the spilling of my son's blood to just pass like that,' the 50-year-old told the Observer. 'If whatever I do will stop one child, one person, from being brainwashed into becoming a suicide bomber or terrorist from claiming an innocent life, then Anthony's death will not be meaningless," She said. 'We will approach people, we will network, we will speak to those that matter, through whatever means to get the message across," she went on. 'I know from the response to the plea I made that there seems to be interest in my speaking from the fullness of my heart. So many people believe exactly what I believe or feel the pain that I felt, but maybe they haven't been able to articulate the way God has allowed me to by making Anthony a sacrificial lamb. That sacrificial lamb is not going to be a lamb that died in vain. I am deeply pained, I am deeply maimed, and I hope it is so others will not go through it." Source: Archbishops' House

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