Archbishop Malcolm McMahon of Liverpool has paid tribute to the families of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster after inquests concluded that they were unlawfully killed.
96 Liverpool supporters died in a crush at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium during a match in 1989. Pressed against metal fences by those behind them, they died by compression asphyxia, suffocating as they were unable to expand their chests to breathe in.
“Since the awful events that unfolded when Liverpool played Nottingham Forest on April 15, 1989, the families of the deceased and all who survived that appalling tragedy have been relentless in their quest for justice,” said Archbishop McMahon.
“I would like to thank the coroner and the jurors for their careful consideration of the evidence and all whose work has led to the conclusion of the inquest into the death of the 96.
“I hope that the acknowledgment that those who died were unlawfully killed will bring comfort to the survivors and the families of the 96.
“May they rest in peace, to be forever remembered in the hearts and minds of the people of Liverpool.”
The jury found that police mistakes created dangerous conditions for fans and that supporters did not contribute to the situation that unfolded.
But for years both survivors and the families of those who died had to endure claims that the Liverpool fans had been responsible for what happened. The Sun newspaper reported allegations that fans had pickpocketed victims and urinated on the police. Under the headline “The truth”, the Sun story began: “Drunken Liverpool fans viciously attacked rescue workers as they tried to revive victims of the Hillsborough soccer disaster.”
But the inquest exonerated the fans. It found that the chief superintendent in charge on the day had lied when he said at the time of the disaster that Liverpool fans had gained unauthorised entry to the ground, when in fact he himself had given the order for the gate to be opened. South Yorkshire Police had then built on this lie over the years, blaming the supporters and denying that they themselves had made any mistakes.
Auxiliary Bishop Tom Williams of Liverpool said he felt anger when he heard the verdict.
“My first thought yesterday was of anger, to be quite honest, because I thought, it has taken 27 years, 27 years for the truth to come out. And there have been lies and there has been deceit. And it has been organised,” he said in a BBC interview.
He told the Today programme that it was important to forgive those who are truly sorry for their actions. “Yes, I think forgiveness is a very important thing. I think we would use the word ‘mercy’ as well as forgiveness. But I think … mercy is about embracing what you have done wrong and accepting it and then asking for forgiveness. So I think on the part of the authorities, when they made their apologies, if they really meant them then that’s the start.
“I think we’ve got to walk with them in the same way as we have walked with the supporters and the fans.”
Bishop Williams said he felt “more emotional” on the day of the inquest last week than he did at the time of the disaster.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols has spoken in support of the Polish bishops’ campaign against abortion.
At a Mass at Ealing Abbey for the 1,050th anniversary of the baptism of Poland, Cardinal Nichols referred to the Polish bishops’ attempts to eliminate abortion, saying: “Some want to argue that abortion can be a right in conscience. This cannot be so because abortion is always the destruction of innocent life.”
The bishops have called for a legal ban on abortions, saying that Poland’s current law – which permits abortion in cases of rape, incest, threats to the mother’s life and some cases of disability, a total of about 200 abortions a year – could not be justified. A new draft law would outlaw all abortions except to save the mother’s life. It has the backing of Prime Minister Beata Szydło, whose Law and Justice party has a majority.
The bishops also argued for “programmes to ensure concrete help for parents of sick and handicapped children and those conceived through rape”. Cardinal Nichols applauded the bishops’ call for better social support, saying: “This is the work that we all need to do to create the circumstances in which recourse to abortion is recognised for what it is: the destruction of an innocent human life and a tragic intervention into a woman’s life.” Abortion is never the best choice, the cardinal added.
Last month, a number of Catholics wrote an open letter arguing against a new law, saying it would be “a violation of a woman’s freedom of conscience”. One of the signatories, Tina Beattie, volunteers as an adviser to the Catholic development charity Cafod. Cafod issued a statement saying the letter “does not represent nor reflect Cafod’s policies”.
More must be done to protect the poorest in society, the head of the bishops’ agency CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) has said.
Philip McCarthy was responding to a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Destitution in the UK, which found that more than 1.25 million people experienced destitution last year. CSAN charities help families struggling to meet the cost of essential bills. But “demand is outstripping supply”, Dr McCarthy said.
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