UK's 100,000 Covid death toll is a 'day of great sadness', says Vincent Nichols

 (Photo: Unsplash/iMattSmart)

The head of the Catholic Church of England and Wales has asked people to pray after the Government confirmed that 100,000 people in the UK have now died from Covid-19.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols said it was a "day of great sadness all over the land".

"So many people, families, communities, remembering those who have died in these terrible months of the pandemic. Each one is mourned. Each one is to be prayed for," he said.

"This is our instinct, our faith, our practice. Our prayer is rooted in the faith that, in death, life is changed, not ended, for the promise of eternal life opens the door of hope even in our darkest moments.

"I pray for each and everyone, those who have died, those who mourn, those who serve.

"Please, please, join me in prayer."

Church leaders in the Church of England are also calling on people to pray

The UK has the highest death rate from coronavirus in Europe and one of the highest in the world, with the toll far exceeding the 20,000 deaths that chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance said back in April 2020 would be a "good outcome". 

Confirming the numbers on Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "deeply sorry for every life that has been lost". 

"It's hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic," he said. 

News
Mother’s Day: reflecting the serving heart of God
Mother’s Day: reflecting the serving heart of God

Motherhood reveals something deeply profound about the nature of love.

Being a mother and a leader in a time of war
Being a mother and a leader in a time of war

Marianne Awaraji at SAT-7 ARABIC reflects on being a leader in the workplace and a mother in the home at a time of great uncertainty for the people of Lebanon.

The little-known story of the woman who rescued Mothering Sunday
The little-known story of the woman who rescued Mothering Sunday

15 March 2026, or the fourth Sunday in Lent, is Mothering Sunday in Britain and Ireland. The tradition nearly died and was rescued by a determined vicar’s daughter about a hundred years ago. This is the story …

Mother’s Day: Love that stands
Mother’s Day: Love that stands

This Mother’s Day, let’s do more than send flowers.