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| Welby to speak of London Bridge attack in Christmas sermon | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The Archbishop of Canterbury is to reflect on the London Bridge Terror attack in his Christmas Day sermon. | The Archbishop of Canterbury is to reflect on the London Bridge Terror attack in his Christmas Day sermon. |
| During the service at Canterbury Cathedral, Justin Welby will say "darkness is a monster that lies" compared with "love-filled whispers of the light." | During the service at Canterbury Cathedral, Justin Welby will say "darkness is a monster that lies" compared with "love-filled whispers of the light." |
| Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, were stabbed to death in a terror attack near London Bridge last month. | Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, were stabbed to death in a terror attack near London Bridge last month. |
| The man who carried out the attack, Usman Khan, was shot dead by police. | The man who carried out the attack, Usman Khan, was shot dead by police. |
| The archbishop is also expected to reflect on his recent visit to Beni in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and its efforts to tackle a recent outbreak of the Ebola virus. | |
| Mr Welby will describe Canterbury as a "city of peace celebrating Christmas", before comparing it to Beni, which is five times the size of the Kent city. | |
| The archbishop is expected to say: "It [Beni] has been at the centre of the second worst outbreak of Ebola; about 3,000 people have died. Its Anglican bishop is alight with Christ, always present, always giving of himself. | The archbishop is expected to say: "It [Beni] has been at the centre of the second worst outbreak of Ebola; about 3,000 people have died. Its Anglican bishop is alight with Christ, always present, always giving of himself. |
| "Darkness is a monster that lies. Its growling claims seem to call out with a louder volume than the love-filled whispers of the light. | "Darkness is a monster that lies. Its growling claims seem to call out with a louder volume than the love-filled whispers of the light. |
| "We see the shadows out of the corner of our eyes. They may be violence as in the Congo or on London Bridge." | "We see the shadows out of the corner of our eyes. They may be violence as in the Congo or on London Bridge." |
| "Whether solid or illusion, they are the reality with which we live, if we believe the dark. | "Whether solid or illusion, they are the reality with which we live, if we believe the dark. |
| "The closer we get to the light the more our imperfections are revealed". | "The closer we get to the light the more our imperfections are revealed". |
| It comes after the spiritual leader of the Church of England shared a message of unity on 23 December, as he appealed to anyone who felt "embarrassed or ashamed" during the festive period. | It comes after the spiritual leader of the Church of England shared a message of unity on 23 December, as he appealed to anyone who felt "embarrassed or ashamed" during the festive period. |
| In a series of tweets, he spoke of Jesus' humble beginnings, appearing to direct his message to those living in poverty. | In a series of tweets, he spoke of Jesus' humble beginnings, appearing to direct his message to those living in poverty. |
| He said: "God meets us wherever we are, however messy. If you're embarrassed or ashamed, God is neither." | He said: "God meets us wherever we are, however messy. If you're embarrassed or ashamed, God is neither." |
| Meanwhile, in his homily on Christmas Eve, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said that after "so much bitter political discourse and division" we "are to look one another in the eye and see there all that is good". | |
| Cardinal Nichols added during Midnight Mass at Westminster Cathedral: "The source of that good in every person we meet is, of course, the life of God, a divine goodness, which shows itself fully in Christ Jesus." | |
| He encouraged worshippers to find "the goodness of God in every person", adding: "Only then will our society become a place in which no-one is afraid and all sense a welcome. This is the fresh start we need." |