Westminster bids farewell to Sir David Amess MP

Image M Mazur CBCEW

The Requiem Mass for Sir David Amess MP, took place in Westminster Cathedral this morning, five weeks after he was fatally stabbed during a surgery at his constituency in Southend.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols was Principal Celebrant, with Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, Nuncio to Great Britain, Rt Rev Alan Williams, Bishop of Brentwood, Canon Pat Browne, Roman Catholic Priest for Parliament, Fr Sławomir Witón, Westminster Cathedral Administrator and Mgr Canon Kevin Hale, Vicar General of Brentwood Diocese.

Sir David's wife Julia and their five children were among family mourners. Senior politicians who attended included Prime Minister Boris Johnson, three former Prime Ministers: Theresa May, Sir John Major and David Cameron, Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer, Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Members of the Qatari Royal Family and Rt Rev Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford together with ecumenical guests Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover, Canon Patricia Hillas, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons and Rt Rev Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry.

As the congregation assembled, members of the Music Man Project - (One of Sir David's pet projects which teaches music to adults and children with learning difficulties) sang Peace and Hope composed by their founder David Stanley.

There was a long moment of silence as Sir David's coffin, which had laid overnight in the Chapel of the Palace of Westminster, was brought into the Cathedral and blessed by Cardinal Nichols. As the procession moved towards the altar the congregation sang: 'Immortal, invisible, God only wise.'

The Choristers of Westminster Cathedral sang the plainsong Requiem eternam before Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, delivered a message from Pope Francis calling for mourners' resolve to be strengthened to "combat evil with good" and "build a society of ever greater justice."

The Archbishop said: "His Holiness recalls with gratitude Sir David's years of devoted public service guided by his strong Catholic faith and evidenced in his deep concern for the poor and the disadvantaged, his commitment to the defence of God's gift of life, and his efforts to foster understanding and co-operation with the Holy See in its universal mission… Commending Sir David's soul to the loving mercy of Jesus Christ our Saviour, the Holy Father prays that all who honour his memory will be confirmed in the resolve to reject the ways of violence, to combat evil with good, and to help build a society of ever greater justice, fraternity and solidarity."

US Congressman Robert Miller Pittenger gave the First Reading from the Book of Wisdom. "The souls of virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them." The Cathedral choristers sang the Psalm: The Lord is my shepherd.

Deacon Damian Wade from Brentwood Diocese read the Gospel according to John - 'A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.'

In his homily, Canon Pat Browne described his long friendship with Sir David and his family. In the same Cathedral 38 years earlier, he had presided over the marriage of David and his wife Julia, and later baptised his five children. Describing David as " a true bridge-builder," Fr Pat spoke of David's capacity for friendship for people from all parties - and his sense of humour. "His genuine charm, wit and warmth broke through many barriers as he looked for those things in others that they could agree on and work together."

"David was also serious. For him, life was a gift to be gratefully accepted, cherished, nourished and lived to the full. He took his life in his two hands and threw himself into it. Indeed, he died doing so, in service of others. As today's Gospel tells us: "A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends," …his constituents, his country. David did so."

Fr Pat concluded with a quotation from Pope St John XXIII's book Journal of a Soul:

Death is the future for everyone.
It is the Last Post of this life and the Reveille of the next.
Death is the end of our present life,
it is the parting from loved ones;
it is the setting out into the unknown…….
Death, like birth, is only a transformation, another birth.
When we die we shall change our state, that is all.
And with faith in God,
it is as easy and natural as going to sleep here and waking up there.

Prayers of the faithful were read by Sarah Champion, Labour MP for Rotherham and Andrew Rosindell, Conservative MP for Romford.

During Communion, the Leigh Orpheus Male Voice Choir sang a beautiful hymn in Welsh: Gwahoddiad (I hear thy welcome voice) and the Cathedral Choristers sang Elgar's Ave Verum.

At the end of Mass, Ann Widdecombe DSG gave the Eulogy. She praised David Amess' dedication to his work, his courtesy and fairness and his love of people. She said: "No waiter could take an order without first giving an account of his life history, it was impossible to tear him away from a function because he always wanted to talk to someone else and as a consequence was always late for everything. But also as a consequence he was greatly loved and respected and it was no surprise when the doormen of the House of Commons, whose individual life histories he probably knew as well as his own, said they wanted to form a guard of honour today."

"His interest in people was matched by his interest in animals. Julia never quite knew what species would be residing in their house or garden next," she said.

At the end of the Mass the Choristers sang In Paradisum as the coffin was blessed with holy water and incense and taken from the Cathedral for burial in a private ceremony.

Today's Requiem Mass followed a service in Southend yesterday, the constituency David Amess served so faithfully for 24 years. Hundreds of people lined the streets there to pay their last respects.

LINKS

Watch a recording of the Mass here: www.cbcew.org.uk/

Text: Canon Pat Browne at Requiem Mass of Sir David Amess: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/43522

Message from Pope Francis: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/43523