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Lord Hurd gives Cathedral School Lecture
Following the success of last year's inaugural Hereford Cathedral School Lecture, this year's lecture was given at Hereford Cathedral on Friday the18th October by Lord Hurd of Westwell.
The lecture, entitled "Church and State: Will the partnership last?", was given by the former Home and Foreign Secretary in front of 200 invited guests. Lord Hurd reviewed the relationship existent between the Church, Society and State over the centuries, how the relationship works today from his unique insight through the positions he has held in Government, and how he sees the partnership developing in the future.
The lecture described how government and church relate today, through examples such as the D Day Memorial celebrations and the funeral of Her Majesty the Queen Mother. It then touched upon events unfolding in the relationship, such as the appointment of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, recent speeches by the Prince of Wales, and of how unfolding reforms have highlighted the role within the House of Lords of the Bishops of the Church of England. Lord Hurd went on to discuss the changing face of society in Britain, of a multi-cultural and multi-denominational nature, and the role the Church of England has in relating to these cultures and faiths.
Lord Hurd of Westwell, better know as Douglas Hurd, was a mainstay of Government in the 1980's and 1990's, holding the posts of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary following a successful career in the Diplomatic Service and Foreign Office. He was created a Life Peer in 1997; among his many appointments since leaving the House of Commons he has become a Member of the Royal Commission for the reform of the House of Lords, and appointed the High Steward of Westminster Abbey, both in 1999.
The evening was a great success, and the question and answer session at the end of the lecture provided some thought provoking ideas. The Headmaster of HCS, Dr Howard Tomlinson, said "Plans are already well under way for next years event, and the School hopes to repeat the success of the first two lectures for many years to come".
