Cardinal Vincent Nichols says leaving EU would create 'complex problems' for Britain

Senior Catholic official Cardinal Vincent Nichols said Britons should be wary of division

Cardinal Vincent Nichols said Britain could face more 'complex problems' if it left the European Union (Diocese of Westminster)

The most senior Catholic cleric in England and Wales has given the strongest possible indication that he backs remaining in the EU, saying that a vote to leave would result in Britain “facing more complex problems with greater difficulty in finding our role in response to them.”

Speaking on the day of the launch of the official campaign for the referendum on 23 June, Cardinal Vincent Nichols said: “There’s a long tradition in Christianity and in Catholicism in particular of believing in holding things together. There’s a strong tradition in the Catholic vision of life that to start down the path of division almost inevitably leads to further division… So the Catholic instinct is to look for the whole – that’s exactly what the word means. And therefore the Catholic stance towards an effort such as the EU is largely supportive.”

Asked how he would feel if Britain voted to leave the EU, Cardinal Nicols said: “If the vote was to leave Europe, I think we would be facing more complex problems with greater difficulty in finding our role in response to them, than we would by playing an active and vigorous part with partners, with the EU.”

Cardinal Nichols was careful to differentiate between his approach to the question as a citizen and as a pastor.

But he was speaking after the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales produced a resolution on the EU referendum after gathering for a conference in Leeds this week.

As is always the case when it comes to giving guidance in elections, the bishops do not instruct people how to vote. Instead, the Cardinal was emphasising the values which should guide what the Church calls “discernment”.

The resolution states: “Reflecting on the forthcoming vote, we recognise the historic nature of this referendum and its implications for future generations. The outcome will have consequences for the future not only of the United Kingdom, but for Europe and for the world.”

It paid tribute to “the contribution of the European project to peace in Western Europe” and emphasised that “this referendum ...is about much more than economics.”

The resolution added: “We all have a responsibility to keep the dignity of the human person at the forefront of the debate. We must ask ourselves, in the face of every issue, what will best serve the dignity of all people both within Europe and beyond…We must not forget the profoundly religious roots of European nations; that Europe has a two thousand year-old Christian culture that has shaped the continent and is a dynamic spiritual, moral and intellectual resource as we address the future.”