Cardinal Murphyo’connor dies

The former Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphyo’connor, has died after a battle with cancer.

The 85-year-old, who became leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales in March 2000 before retiring from his role in 2009, was admitted to hospital last month.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the current Archbishop of Westminster, said Cardinal Murphy-o’connor died “peacefully”. A spokeswoman for the Catholic Church in England and Wales said he died at 3:15pm yesterday.

Cardinal Nichols said his abiding memory of his predecessor was his “infectious laughter and his sense of fun”, as well as his love of music and the piano.

He added: “The entire Catholic community and many others will mourn the death of Cormac Murphy-o’connor. He led the Catholicchurchwithverve and enthusiasm – he was a man who loved life and lived it to the full and he died peacefully and with real humility.

“I spoke with him yesterday and we laughed a lot about shared memories and he told me very movingly of his readiness and trustinthisnextstepthathe is to take, which is to leave this world and to die and go into the presence of God.”