Westminster Cathedral

Westminster Cathedral, not to be confused by Westminster Abbey is the primary Catholic Church in England and Wales. Seating 3,000 people, it’s the largest Catholic church in the UK and the 38th largest globally. It’s the Archbishop of Westminster's seat, who is the head of the Catholic church in England and Wales.

After Henry VII’s English reformation, the Catholic population in England and Wales declined. At the start of the 19th century, it was estimated that the number of Catholics was around 100,000. Two things started a Catholic revival. The first was the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829, which allowed Catholics to become Members of Parliament and to hold public office. The second was the 1840’s Irish immigration to England, which increased the number of Catholics to around 250.000.

This is the background that led to the building of the Cathedral. In 1884, the site formerly a prison was purchased. Work didn’t properly begin until 1895 and the cathedral opened in 1903 and was consecrated in 1910. Due to a lack of money, the interior of the cathedral was finished by the time of its consecration and remains largely unfinished to this day.

The architect was John Francis Bentley and designed a Byzantine revival cathedral. Which was fashionable at the time for churches and other public buildings.

My first visit to the Cathedral was when I was a child and I remember being overawed by how big it was both its height and the number of people it held. On subsequent visits, it always strikes me on how unfinished the interior is but, at the same time, how somehow it suits the cathedral.

When you visit, let me know what you think.

In the meantime, here are some photos.