Bishops receive a warm welcome to Wales

There was a warm welcome to Wales for the Bishops' Conference last night, when the Archbishop of Cardiff, Rt Rev Peter Smith, hosted a reception for them at the Marriot Hotel in Cardiff, attended by many Welsh politicians and church leaders. Special guests included the Rt Hon Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of the National Assembly of Wales, Ms Jaqui Casson, Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Mr Saleen Kidwae of the Moslem Council of Wales; the Most Rev Dr Barry Morgan, Archbishop of Wales; Rt Rev Dominic Walker, Bishop of Monmouth. Ms Kathleen Smith, Mayor of Conwy; David Melding from the National Assembly of Wales, and representatives from Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot Borough Councils. This morning prayers were said for the life and work of Margaret Hassan, the kidnapped aid worker killed in Iraq. The conference ends tomorrow. During the four-day event the bishops, lead by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, have been discussing a wide range of issues from liturgy and worship to social and international affairs.