Friday 29th January 2021 • £2.40 • €2.70 Subscribers only pay £1.94 www.thecatholicuniverse.com Children risk paying the biggest price for pandemic School closures driving increases in youth mental health problems say psychiatrists Michael Winterbottom The surge has been blamed on The Royal College of Psychiatrists has Covid-19 restrictions, with a survey warned that the Covid pandemic risks by the Prince’s Trust revealing that a generation of young people being one-in-four young people feels unable lost to “lifelong” illness as they con- to cope with life at present and that tinue to struggle to cope with current the crisis has taken a “devastating restrictions on their lives. toll” on the confidence of teenagers The closure of schools, cancelled and young adults. exams and lockdown restrictions all A leading paediatrician has con- threaten a “mental health crisis that firmed that the number of children A shot in the could plague the current generation admitted to hospital for mental health of children for years to come,” it reasons now outstrips those with med- stressed. ical ailments. Prof Russell Viner, pres- Half of the college’s child psychia- ident of the Royal College of Paedi- arm as cardinal trists have reported an increase in atrics and Child Health told MPs that emergency or urgent cases among this is a phenomenon that paediatri- children, and one in six children now cians have seen across the UK since backs vaccines has a mental health problem, up from the start of the pandemic. Cardinal Nichols has received his first dose of the one in nine just three years ago. Continued on page 3 Covid-19 vaccine, saying it was “a kind and cheerful experience” as he strongly encouraged everyone to “play their part and support NHS staff” by ‘Mother Teresa of Manchester’ accepting the vaccine when offered. • Priest who survived Covid-19 urges all to see moves closer to sainthood vaccines as a blessing: See pg 3 See pg 15 This week’s Companion £2.40 €2.70 Leg-strengthening Why the future is exercises to boost your looking digital for running performance our finances Common symptoms The joys of a of gluten sensitivity traditional and how to treat it English garden 02 For extra news go to www.thecatholicuniverse.com News Follow the Catholic Universe on twitter @ukcatholicpress Mass mourns loss of ‘a great tree of the faith’ Nick Benson was so engaged and realistic, the civic “A great tree felled unexpectedly in life of Glasgow, not forgetting its sport,” the middle of the night” resulting in he added. a loss that “has changed the land- Bishop Gilbert recalled the arch- scapes of so many lives,” Bishop Hugh bishop’s “deep Catholic faith” and his Gilbert said at the funeral Mass of the “genuine, heartfelt” concern and work Archbishop of Glasgow. with the vulnerable, including asylum Archbishop Philip Tartaglia died seekers, survivors of abuse and victims suddenly at his home in Glasgow on of accidents. He also remembered Wednesday, 13th January, just two Archbishop Tartaglia’s comforting role The Primate of All-Ireland and days after celebrating his 70th birthday. in the aftermath of the Glasgow bin Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon He had been self-isolating at home lorry tragedy and the Clutha helicopter Martin, pictured when in-person after testing positive for Covid-19 crash. public worship was possible shortly after Christmas. “We are commending to God today Covid-19 restrictions meant only someone who wasn’t small in any 20 relatives and friends of the late sense, someone of gravitas, and some- Archbishop were able to attend the one in whom head and heart came together, possessed of intellectual force and clarity and at the same time Public worship ban stays until of great human warmth,” said Bishop Gilbert. he had a “gift for friendship and insight into people”, Bishop Gilbert recalled, during an Ad Limina March says Northern Ireland visit with the pope in 2018, he said to the Holy Father, “I miss the parish”, Nick Benson 18th February because it would be celebration of Mass and other devo- which received “a delighted papal The Catholic bishops of Northern Ire- very wrong to keep restrictions in tions online, and highlighted the “im- thumbs-up” in response. land have announced that in-person place for any longer than necessary.” portant role faith and prayer plays at Bishop Gilbert described the loss worship will continue to be suspended The Catholic Church, as well as the this difficult time.” of Archbishop Tartaglia as “a great until March. Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian The bishops also continued their tree felled unexpectedly in the middle The announcement comes as the Church and the Methodist Church, call for prayers for the sick, the be- of the night”, adding that “only when first and deputy first ministers ex- confirmed that it would continue to reaved and all those whose livelihoods we woke up the day following did we tended Covid-19 lockdown restrictions suspend services until the end of lock- have been particularly impacted by divine what had happened, did we until 5th March. down. the pandemic. grasp the depths of its roots, see the First Minister Arlene Foster said ex- Churches would remain open for “We keep especially in mind all The Archbishop of Glasgow, space this tree occupied, the shelter tending the restrictions was an “ap- private prayer and arrangements made health workers, carers, chaplains and Philip Tartaglia it gave, and what we’ve personally propriate and necessary response” to for recording and/or live-streaming other essential workers,” they said. Photo: Scottish Catholic Media Office and collectively lost. This uprooting tackle the “imminent threat” posed of services. Exceptions would be made They also welcomed announce- has changed the landscapes of so by Covid-19. weddings, funerals and baptismal ments that a similar position is being service at St Andrew’s Cathedral on many lives.” Deputy First Minister Michelle liturgies, with appropriate restrictions taken by the leaders of the Church of Thursday, 21st January. The bishop also noted that this tree O’Neill said she was aware that the in place. Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in In his homily, Bishop Gilbert, pres- had a root – “the deep Catholic Chris- executive was “asking a lot of every- The Catholic bishops said they were Ireland, the Methodist Church in Ire- ident of the Bishops’ Conference of tian faith he had received from his one” but stressed that “we will do making the decision “reluctantly, con- land and many other denominations Scotland, acknowledged the many family”. “Through that faith flowed everything we can to make sure you scious of the pain that not being able and faith communities in response different ways people knew Archbish- the sacramental sap that nourished are supported during this time”, while to gather for public worship causes to the extension of restrictions. op Tartaglia, “as a member of his fam- and greened his life,” he added. Ms Foster admitted that the executive for all the faithful.” The statement was signed by the ily, or in his school and student days, He noted that it was “consoling” had not ruled out the possibility of However, they did so “in the hope Primate of All-Ireland, Archbishop in Rome, in the seminaries and parish- that Archbishop Tartaglia, who served the measures being required until at that this period of sacrifice is inspired Eamon Martin; the Bishop of Down es he served, as Bishop of Paisley and as Archbishop of Glasgow since 2012, least Easter. by the command of Jesus to love our and Connor, Noel Treanor; the Bishop Archbishop of Glasgow”. “should go to God” on the Feast of St “We have to be proportionate and neighbours and undertaken for the of Derry, Donal McKeown; the Bishop “There were the many circles he Kentigern/Mungo, the patron saint we have to only do what is necessary,” protection of life and health and for of Clogher, Larry Duffy; and the Aux- moved in: of ecumenical dialogue, of Glasgow. “May he rest in peace and she said. the Common Good” They encouraged iliary Bishop of Armagh, Michael Catholic education about which he rise in glory. Amen.” “We will review this decision on parishes to continue to broadcast the Router. The Catholic Universe | Friday 29th January 2021 03 News Trust me: get the vaccine says Fr Albert Nick Benson 19 is real and is a danger to all, as he A London-based Catholic priest who criticised those attempting to down- was admitted to hospital with Covid- play the severity of the virus. 19 has recalled his “frightening” ex- “I had a near-death experience con- perience of the “havoc” caused by the tracting Covid-19 not long ago,” Fr virus, and has encouraged all to get Ofere said in a video message, posted vaccinated. by the Diocese of Westminster. “I was admitted at Northwick Park Hospital Fr Albert Ofere, parish priest of Eng- Nuns arrive at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London to lish Martyrs, Wembley Park, London, and it was frightening and not an ex- receive the Covid-19 vaccine. Photo: John Sibley, Reuters described the vaccine as “a blessing” perience anyone should go through. Inset, Fr Albert Ofere and “a gift from God” as he urged “I speak from experience of what I Screenshot from YouTube/Diocese of Westminster. people to listen to the facts and speak have been through, that Covid-19 is to their GP to make an informed de- real and is causing havoc. We are all prise as he discovered that some mem- “Look at the facts, speak to your pacity as Bishop for Ethnic Chaplains cision about the vaccine, rather than affected directly or indirectly regardless bers of the public said they would GP.