BASIL: MY CARDINAL

One of the perks of editing The Voice, indeed the only one, is that among the steady trickle of books submitted for review, there is every now and then, an absolute gem. One such is Anthony Howard’s biography of the late, and, yes we must say it, “great” George Basil Hume, late Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster. The book arrived with us mid May and proved un-put-downable. We heartily commend it to all our readers. Published by Headline at £20.00. ISBN 0 7553 12473*

For those who were even slightly aware of the preparations for the Papal visit to Britain in 1982, for those who even dimly recall the huge hopes engendered by the National Pastoral Congress in 1980. For those who only read about the trouble at Cardinal Vaughan School in Westminster and for those who simply watched the Birmingham Six drama unfold on television, the book provides a fund of the background information we all enjoy but were denied at the time. But best of all, and an absolute blessing for our time, the book presents us with a man who spoke openly of his doubts and claimed to the end that he was searching for God. He did not seek to pretend or posture. Invited for lunch at the offices of the Guardian newspaper, he impressed everyone with the time he took to think before attempting to answer their questions.

Born of a Scottish father and a French mother, he was himself quintessentially English and loved it. Before interviewing him in Rome Kate Adie of the BBC admitted that she was only wearing a hat because “when in Rome etc.” “My dear” our Basil replied, “you don’t have to bother with all that, remember you are English”. In her own book, “The Kindness of Strangers” Adie, remembers it differently, “British” instead of “English,” but either way the Cardinal’s strength of identity is clear as it was with his attachment to Newcastle United. Through his sense of being English, he forged links with the establishment including the royal family to the extent that even after his death, the Queen would refer to him as “my Cardinal.” Nor should we treat this lightly for in doing all this he brought the Catholic Church in this country out of the shadows and into a position where it seems of consuming interest even at a local level.

We will not rush to canonise him: that is not the English way, but we should not fail to acknowledge him for what he is, a model for the spiritual journey and a hero for this land. Salute him then, Basil our Cardinal. Buy the book.

*Readers can get the book at £1 off from the bookshop at Holy Family church, Ingol, on production of a copy of this edition of The Voice.