Basil Hume: By his friends - Tapa blanda

Close friends and associates have gathered together to write an fully rounded appreciation of one of Britain’s best loved Church leaders.

Cardinal Basil Hume has spent fifty years as a Benedictine monk and, to celebrate, this unique book looks at the man, his achievements and his vocation. Written by some of the Cardinal’s closest friends and associates, it offers a remarkable insight into the life and work of the highly respected leader of Britain’s five million Catholics.

Contributors include Sister Wendy who shares the Cardinal’s devotion to the contemplative life, Sister Lavinia Byrne who is an outspoken liberal and a regular presenter of Thought for the Day on Radio 4, and the recently converted controversial MP Anne Widdecombe. Priests include the progressive Cardinal Carlo Martini of Milan who is tipped to be the next Pope, Cardinal Cachal Daly of Armagh and Father Timothy Radcliffe who is Master of the Dominicans and a likely successor to Cardinal Hume. Contributions are also be made by Lord Longford, Clifford Longley and several other experts on Basil Hume.

The book has been written in appreciation of the Cardinal, but it is not uncritical. Times of personal struggle and political pressure are explored and there is no ‘whitewash in Westminster’ which is where he lives.

A FULLY-ROUNDED APPRECIATION OF ONE OF THE BEST-LOVED FIGURES IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Cardinal Basil Hume has been a Benedictine monk for over fifty years. This unique celebration looks at the man, his achievements and his vocation. Written by some of his closest friends and associates, it offers a remarkable insight into the life and work of the leader of over four million Catholics in England and Wales.

Contributors include Sister Lavinia Byrne the broadcaster, Ann Widdecombe the politician, Cardinal Cahal Daly of Armagh, Cardinal Carlo Martini of Milan, Father Timothy Radcliffe the Master of the Dominicans, Lord Longford, Clifford Longley and others.

Although written as an appreciation, 'Basil Hume: by his friends' is not uncritical and tells of the personal struggles and political pressures that he encountered.

Carolyn Butler has a first in theology and has been a producer for the BBC. A member of the Council for Christians and Jews, she currently works for the Catholic Media Office.