Westminster Cathedral from Victoria Street

Westminster Cathedral in London, England, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral for the Archbishop of Westminster. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (972x1296, 791 KB) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Westminster Cathedral List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (972x1296, 791 KB) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Westminster Cathedral List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the  United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... A motherchurch or mother church in Christianity is used in three forms. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... A cathedral is a religious building for worship, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic, Anglican and some Lutheran churches, which serves as a bishops seat, and thus as the central church of a diocese. ... The standard of the Archbishop of Westminster The Archbishop of Westminster heads the Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster, England. ...

The cathedral is located in Victoria, SW1, in the City of Westminster. It is the largest Roman Catholic church in England and Wales. Not to be confused with Westminster Abbey of the Church of England, Westminster Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster, currently Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, shepherd of the Archbishop of Westminster. As a matter of custom each newly appointed Archbishop of Westminster has been created a cardinal in consistory. The City of Westminster is a London borough with city status, situated to the west of the City of London and north of the River Thames. ... It has been suggested that Ecclesia (Church) be merged into this article or section. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... Cormac Cardinal Murphy-OConnor (born 24 August 1932 in Reading, Berkshire) is an English prelate, the Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Bishops Conference of England and Wales. ... A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Roman Catholic Church, a member of the College of Cardinals which as a body elects a new pope. ... // Antiquity Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply sitting together, just as the Greek syn(h)edrion (from which the Biblical sanhedrin was a corruption). ...

History

In the late 19th century, the Catholic Church hierarchy had only recently been restored in England and Wales, and it was in memory of Cardinal Wiseman (who died in 1865, and was the first Archbishop of Westminster from 1850) that the first substantial sum of money was raised for the new cathedral. The land was acquired in 1884 by Wiseman's successor, Cardinal Manning, having previously been occupied by the second Tothill Fields Bridewell prison. After two false starts in 1867 (under architect Henry Clutton) and 1892 (architect Baron von Herstel), construction started in 1895 under Manning's successor, the third archbishop Cardinal Vaughan with John Francis Bentley as architect. The cathedral opened in 1903, a little after Bentley's death. For reasons of economy the decoration of the interior had hardly been started and still much remained to be completed. Nicholas Patrick Stephen Cardinal Wiseman (August 2, 1802 - 1865) was an English Cardinal and the first Archbishop of Westminster. ... 1882 caricature from Punch Henry Edward Cardinal Manning (July 15, 1808 - January 14, 1892) was an English Roman Catholic Archbishop and Cardinal. ... Tothill Fields Bridewell (also known as Tothill Fields Prison and Westminster Bridewell) was a prison located in the Westminster area of central London between 1618 and 1884. ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (April 15, 1832 - June 19, 1903) was a British churchman, cardinal and Archbishop of Westminster. ... John Francis Bentley (1839-1902) was a British architect whose most famous work is the Byzantine architecture of Westminster Cathedral in London, England. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...

The interior of Westminster Cathedral

Under the laws of the Church no place of worship can be consecrated unless free from debt and having its fabric completed, so the consecration ceremony did not take place until June 28, 1910. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1323, 1341 KB) Interior of Westminster Cathedral, London, England. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1323, 1341 KB) Interior of Westminster Cathedral, London, England. ... To consecrate an inanimate object is to dedicate it in a ritual to a special purpose, usually religious. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

On May 28, 1982, the first day of his six-day visit to the United Kingdom, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in the Cathedral. May 28 is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: , Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan PaweÅ‚ II) born   [] (May 18, 1920, Wadowice, Poland – April 2, 2005, Vatican City) reigned as... A Medieval Low Mass by a bishop. ...

In 1995, at the invitation of Cardinal Basil Hume, the cathedral was visited by HM The Queen, the first visit of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom to a Catholic liturgy for several hundred years. Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... George Basil Cardinal Hume (2 March 1923 - 17 June 1999), Archbishop of Westminster, (Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales) (1976-1999) Born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1923 to a Scottish father and French Catholic mother. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ...

Architecture and Mosaics

The Byzantine church architecture by John Francis Bentley makes Westminster Cathedral a highly distinctive building. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia. ...

The dominating external features are the great campanile, St. Edward's Tower, 273ft high (top of cross, 284ft), and the West Front with its finely balanced pillars and arches. A campanile (pronounced []) is, especially in Italy, a free-standing bell tower (Italian campana, bell), often adjacent to a church or cathedral. ...

The nave is the widest of any church in England and, because the Sanctuary is 4.5ft above the level of the nave, every part commands an uninterrupted view of the High Altar, with its imposing marble and mosaic baldacchino, on which light is cleverly concentrated. The richly gilt Crucifix hanging from the chancel arch is 30ft in length. On one side is the figure of Christ; on the reverse, towards the altar, the figure of the Sorrowful Mother. The Archiepiscopal Throne or cathedra, of marble and mosaic, is modelled on the Papal Throne at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. The Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller at Rhodes under a canopy of estate, on a dais: there is a cushion under his feet A baldachin, or baldaquin (Italian: baldacchino, baldachino), is a canopy of state over an altar or throne, It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but... The Crucifix, a cross with corpus, a symbol used in Catholicism in contrast with some other Christian communions, which use only a cross. ... Christ is the English of the Greek word (Christós), which literally means The Anointed One. ... The cathedra of the Pope in the apse of St. ... The late Baroque façade of the Basilica of St. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5...

The beautiful marble pillars are elaborately carved, with caps of white Carrara marble, no two alike. There are in all eleven side-chapels. Adjoining the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is a white marble monument of Cardinal Vaughan (d. 1903). The screen and gates in this chapel, surmounted by a gold pelican, are very beautiful. In a corresponding position on the other side of the Sanctuary is the Lady Chapel. The Chapel of St. Gregory and Augustine (the first on the right as one enters the nave) and the Chapel of the Holy Souls (the first on the left as one enters) are also complete; the former was the gift of Lord and Lady Brampton.

A side-chapel roof mosaic

The cathedral continues to receive donations for the completion of the elaborate mosaics within. Work has recently been completed to decorate the Chapel of St. Joseph. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1800x1347, 549 KB) A side-chapel roof mosaic in Westminster Cathedral, London, England. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1800x1347, 549 KB) A side-chapel roof mosaic in Westminster Cathedral, London, England. ...

Below the Choir is the Crypt, or St. Peter's Chapel, also with fine columns. Here are monuments covering the remains of Cardinals Wiseman and Manning, transferred from their original place of interment at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Kensal Green. Kensal Green is a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Brent. ...

The view from the Tower is much obstructed by nearby buildings and scenery. The tower is about 60ft higher than the western towers of Westminster Abbey, but is 30ft lower than the Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament. Archbishop's House adjoins the eastern end of the Cathedral, in Ambrosden Avenue. The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... “Houses of Parliament” redirects here. ...

Music

Despite its relatively short history compared to other English cathedrals, Westminster has a distinguished choral tradition, and the choir is considered one of the finest of its kind in the world. This musical excellence has its origin in the shared vision of Cardinal Vaughan, the Cathedral's founder, and Sir Richard Runciman Terry, its inaugural Master of Music. Terry prepared his choristers for a year before their first sung service in public. For the remainder of his tenure (until 1924) he pursued a celebrated revival of great quantities of Latin repertoire from the English Renaissance, most of which had lain unsung ever since the Reformation. Students at the Royal College of Music who would become household names were introduced to their heritage when Charles Villiers Stanford sent them to the cathedral to hear "polyphony for a penny" (the bus fare). This program also required honing the boys' sight-reading ability to a then-unprecedented standard. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (April 15, 1832 – June 19, 1903) was a British Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Westminster. ... Sir Richard Runciman Terry (1864 - April 18, 1938) was an English organist, choir director and musicologist. ... Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (September 30, 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Irish composer. ...

The Cathedral's musical traditions have been upheld by successive distinguished Masters of Music. Holders have included George Malcolm, whose trebles innovated a brilliant 'continental' tone, "voices like razors" to quote one auditor; Colin Mawby, Stephen Cleobury, David Hill and James O'Donnell. Since 2000, the post has been occupied by Martin Baker. It is believed Westminster Cathedral is the only Catholic Cathedral in the world to have a daily sung Mass. George Malcolm was a pioneering harpsichordist, introducing many people to this instrument. ... Colin Mawby (b. ... Stephen Cleobury (b. ... David Hill is Organist and Director of Music at St Johns College, Cambridge. ... James ODonnell (born 1961 in Scotland) is the current organist of Westminster Abbey. ... In Great Britain & Ireland the term Sung Mass or Misa Cantata is used for what in the United States of America is called High Mass. ...

The Choir has commissioned many works from distinguished composers, many of whom are better known for their contribution to Anglican music, such as Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams. However, the Choir is particularly renowned for its performance of Gregorian chant and polyphony of the Renaissance. Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH (November 22, 1913 Lowestoft, Suffolk - December 4, 1976 Aldeburgh, Suffolk) was a British composer, conductor, and pianist. ... A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ... Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Renaissance (French for rebirth, or Rinascimento in Italian), was a cultural movement in Italy (and in Europe in general) that began in the late Middle Ages, and spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century. ...

All the boys of the Choir are boarders at the nearby Westminster Cathedral Choir School.

Unlike most other English cathedrals, Westminster does not have a separate Quire; instead, the choir are hidden from view in the Apse behind the High Altar. This, with the excellent acoustic of the cathedral building, contributes to its distinctive sound. The choir stalls in the quire of Bristol Cathedral, Bristol, England The choir stalls at Buxheim Priory, by Ignaz Waibl See also: Choir (disambiguation) A quire (sometimes referred to as a choir) is an area of a church or cathedral, usually in the western part of the chancel between the... This article is about an architectural feature; for the astronomical term see apsis. ...

Located in the west gallery, the Grand Organ of four manuals and 81 stops occupies a more commanding position than many British cathedral organs enjoy. Built by Henry Willis III from 1922 to 1932, it remains one of the most successful and admired. One of Louis Vierne's best-known organ pieces, "Carillon de Westminster," the final movement from Suite no. 3 (op. 54) of Pièces de Fantaisie, was composed for it and dedicated to the builder. The apse organ of fifteen stops is older. Although the Grand Organ has its own attached console, a console in the apse can play both instruments. Louis Victor Jules Vierne, (October 8, 1870–June 2, 1937) was a French organist and composer. ...

See also

• List of churches and cathedrals of London

St. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Westminster Cathedral

• Westminster Cathedral official site
• Solomon, I have surpassed thee a blog from Westminster Cathedral
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Westminster Cathedral
• Mosaics in Westminster Cathedral
• Mystery Worshipper Report at the Ship of Fools website

Coordinates: 51°29′46″N, 0°08′23″W The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...