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
Church leaders condemn antisemitic ambulance attack
Church leaders condemn antisemitic ambulance attack

Christian leaders have been united in their condemnation of a firebomb attack on four ambulances operated by a Jewish charity. 

Pakistan temporarily halts plan to evict Christians from settlement
Pakistan temporarily halts plan to evict Christians from settlement

Faced with poverty and discrimination, many Christians have nowhere to go.

Where to enjoy Christian heritage on the King's new coastal path
Where to enjoy Christian heritage on the King's new coastal path

Here are five remarkable Christian stops worth visiting on the new King Charles III England Coast Path, each one rooted not only in its own history but also in the wider coastal landscape around it.

Rowan Williams ponders Anglican Communion's survival
Rowan Williams ponders Anglican Communion's survival

In two decades, the issues affecting the Anglican Communion have not changed but the divisions have only intensified.