View source for Westminster Cathedral

{{Short description|Catholic cathedral in London, England}}
{{Distinguish|Westminster Abbey|Westminster Chapel}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox church
| name = Westminster Cathedral
| fullname = Metropolitan Cathedral of the <br>Most Precious Blood
| image = Catedral de Westminster, Londres, Inglaterra, 2022-11-23, DD 22-24 HDR.jpg
| imagesize = 
| imagealt = 
| landscape = 
| caption = Frontal view as seen from Victoria Street
| pushpin map = Central London
| pushpin label position = top
| pushpin map alt = 
| pushpin mapsize = 
| map caption = Shown within Central London
| coordinates = {{coord|51.4961|-0.1397|region:GB_type:landmark|display=title}}
| osgraw = TQ 29248 79074
| location = Francis Street, [[City of Westminster|Westminster]]<br />London, [[SW postcode area|SW1]]
| country = England
| denomination = [[Catholic Church]]
| sui iuris church = [[Latin Church]]
| tradition = 
| membership = 
| website = {{URL|https://westminstercathedral.org.uk/}}
| former name = 
| dedication = [[Blood of Christ|Most Precious Blood]]
| consecrated date = 1910
| people = 
| status = [[Cathedral]]
| functional status = 
| heritage designation = 
| designated date = 
| previous cathedrals = 
| architect = [[John Francis Bentley]]
| architectural type = 
| style = [[Neo-Byzantine architecture|Neo-Byzantine]]
| years built = 1895–1903
| groundbreaking = 
| completed date = 
| construction cost = 
| closed date = 
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| capacity = 
| length = 110m (360ft)
| length nave = 
| length choir = 
| width = 47m (156ft)
| width nave = 
| width transepts = 
| height = 
| height nave = 
| height choir = 
| dome quantity = 
| dome height outer = 
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| dome dia outer = 
| dome dia inner = 
| tower quantity = 1
| tower height = 87m (284ft), including the cross
| spire quantity = 
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| metropolis = 
| diocese = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster|Westminster]]
| diocese start = 1884
| province = [[Province of Westminster|Westminster]]
| archbishop = [[Vincent Nichols]]
| bishop = 
| dean = Slawomir Witon
| provost = 
| canon = 
| precentor = 
| archdeacon = 
| reader = 
| organist = Simon Johnson, Peter Stevens
| logo = 
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| embedded = {{Infobox historic site
| embed = yes
| designation1 = UK Grade I
| designation1_offname = 
| designation1_date = 1 December 1987<br />Amended 15 February 1994
| designation1_number = 1066500<ref>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1066500|desc=Wesminster Cathedral|access-date=10 November 2016}}</ref>
}}
}}
{{Catholic Church in England and Wales sidebar}}
[[File:Westminster Cathedral Nave, London, UK - Diliff.jpg|thumb|Interior]]
[[File:Westminster Cathedral interior3.jpg|thumb|Baptistery]]
[[File:Westminster Cathedral from the south-west.jpg|thumb|South-western elevation]]
[[File:Westminster.cathedral.mosaic.london.arp.jpg|thumb|Neo-Byzantine mosaics]]
[[File:Westminster Cathedral IMG 4612.JPG|thumb|Reliquary of Saint [[John Southworth (martyr)|John Southworth]]]]
[[File:Westminster Cathedral from the west.jpg|thumb|North-western elevation]]
[[File:Catedral de Westminster, Londres, Inglaterra, 2022-11-23, DD 49-51 HDR.jpg|thumb|Blessed Sacrament Chapel]]
[[File:Catedral de Westminster, Londres, Inglaterra, 2022-11-23, DD 40-42 HDR.jpg|thumb|Ceiling of the Chapel of St Joseph and the Holy Family]]
[[File:North-west entrance of Westminster Cathedral.jpg|thumb|North-western portal]]
'''Westminster Cathedral''', officially the '''Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood''', is the largest [[Catholic Church in England and Wales|Catholic church in England and Wales]]. The shrine is dedicated to the [[Blood of Jesus Christ]] and is the seat of the [[Archbishop of Westminster]].

The original site on which the cathedral stands in the [[City of Westminster]] was purchased by the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster|Diocese of Westminster]] in 1885, and construction was completed in 1903.<ref name="sacred-destinations">{{cite web| url=http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/london-westminster-cathedral| title=Westminster Cathedral – London, England| website=Sacred Ddestinations| access-date=2019-11-12}}</ref> Designed by [[John Francis Bentley]] in a 9th-century Christian [[Neo-Byzantine architecture|neo-Byzantine style]], and accordingly made almost entirely of [[brick]], without [[steel]] reinforcements,<ref name="Daly2018">{{cite book| first=Mark| last=Daly| title=London Uncovered (New Edition): More than Sixty Unusual Places to Explore| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iKF5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA134|date=16 October 2018|publisher=White Lion Publishing| isbn=978-0-7112-3998-2| page=134}}</ref><ref name="DayMcNeil2002">{{cite book| first1=Lance| last1=Day| author2=Ian McNeil| title=Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FmoTeX3aGl4C&pg=PT111|date=11 September 2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-65019-4|page=111}}</ref> Sir [[John Betjeman]] called it "a masterpiece in striped brick and stone" that shows "the good craftsman has no need of steel or concrete."<ref>{{cite book| title=A Pictorial History of English Architecture| last=Betjeman| first=John| publisher=Penguin Books Ltd.| date=25 July 1974| page=95| isbn=978-0-1400-3824-8| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=68YjAAAAMAAJ&q=westminster+cathedral|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The cathedral received [[Apostolic_visitor|Apostolic Visits]] from [[Pope John Paul II]] on 28 May 1982 and [[Pope Benedict XVI]] on 18 September 2010.<ref>{{cite news| title=When the Pope Went to Westminster| url=https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2025/09/04/when-the-pope-went-to-westminster/| first=Stephen P.| last=White| date=4 September 2025| website=The Catholic Thing| access-date=16 September 2025}}</ref>

==History==
{{more citations needed section|date=May 2022}}

In the late 19th century, the [[Catholic Church]]'s hierarchy had only recently been [[Catholic emancipation|restored]] in England and Wales, and it was in memory of [[Cardinal Wiseman]] (who died in 1865, and was the first Archbishop of Westminster from 1850) that the first substantial sum of money was raised for the new cathedral. The land was acquired in 1884 by Wiseman's successor, [[Henry Edward Manning|Cardinal Manning]], having previously been occupied by the second [[Tothill Fields Bridewell]] prison.

After two false starts, in 1867 (under architect [[Henry Clutton]]) and 1892 (architect Baron von Herstel), construction started in 1895 under Manning's successor, the third [[archbishop]], [[Herbert Vaughan|Cardinal Vaughan]], with [[John Francis Bentley]] as architect, in a style heavily influenced by [[Byzantine architecture]].<ref>[http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=WST146 "Westminster Cathedral Piazza"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819090616/http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=WST146 |date=19 August 2014}}. ''London Gardens Online''. Retrieved 16 May 2013.</ref> The cost of the building was anticipated at £150,000 and its area 54,000&nbsp;sq ft, the cathedral to be 350&nbsp;ft long by 156&nbsp;ft wide by 90&nbsp;ft high.<ref name=ILN>{{cite journal |date=20 July 1895 |title=The New Roman Catholic Cathedral, Westminster |journal=The Illustrated London News |page=3 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_illustrated-london-news_1895-07-20_107_2935/mode/2up |volume=107 |issue=2935 |via=Archive.org}}{{failed verification|date=September 2025}}</ref>

The foundation stone blessing by Cardinal Vaughan took place on a Saturday morning, 29 June 1895, before a "distinguished" gathering. After the "recitation of the Litanies, [[Michael Logue|Michael Cardinal Logue]] celebrated Low Mass ''coram Episcopo''. A procession composed of [[Benedictines]], [[Franciscans]], [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]], [[Passionists]], [[Dominican Order|Dominicans]], [[Redemptorists]], and secular clergy made the circuit of the grounds. The choir, directed by the Rev. Charles Cox, rendered, among other pieces, [[Samuel Webbe|Webbe's]] 'O Roma Felix' and 'O Salutaris'. At the luncheon which followed, the speakers included Cardinal Vaughan, Cardinal Logue, the [[Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk|Duke of Norfolk]], [[John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton|Lord Acton]], [[Henry Matthews, 1st Viscount Llandaff|Henry Matthews MP]], [[Edmund FitzAlan-Howard, 1st Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent|Lord Edmund Talbot]], and Sir Donald Macfarlane."<ref name=ILN/> 

The cathedral later opened in 1903, a year after Bentley's death. One of the first public liturgies to be celebrated was Cardinal Vaughan's Requiem Mass; the Cardinal died on 19 June 1903.<ref>{{cite news| title=Sacred Mysteries| first=Christopher| last=Howse| newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]| date=30 April 2005| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3616563/Sacred-mysteries.html| access-date=20 February 2016}}</ref> When the debt on the building fund was liquidated, consecration ceremony took place on 28 June 1910.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alba |first1=M.J. |date=14 May 2013 |title=10 Most Famous Unfinished Buildings |url=http://listverse.com/2013/05/14/10-most-famous-unfinished-buildings/ |website=ListVerse |access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref> Under the laws of the Catholic Church, no place of worship could be [[consecration|consecrated]] unless free from debt. 

The decoration of the interior had hardly been started at the time of consecration, as the decoration in Byzantine churches is applied, rather than integral to the architecture. Therefore finishing the decoration of the cathedral was left to the subsequent generations. It is an architectural gem with its interior notable for rich marble decorations and the beautiful, but still incomplete, mosaics.

In 1895, the cathedral was dedicated to the [[Blood of Christ|Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ]]. This is commemorated  by the Latin dedication above the portal tympanum:

{{Quote| ''Latin: Domine Jesus Rex et Redemptor per Sanguinem tuum salva nos'' <br>

(English: "Lord Jesus, King and Redeemer, save us through your blood"). }}

The Feast of the Dedication of the Cathedral is celebrated each year on 1 July,<ref name=":0" /> which from 1849 until the [[Second Vatican Council]] (1969) was the [[Feast of the Most Precious Blood|feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ]].

The additional co-patrons are the [[Blessed Virgin Mary]], [[Saint Joseph]], [[Saint  Peter]], Saint [[Augustine of Canterbury]], [[Saint Patrick]], along with  [[List of saints of Ireland|all remaining Catholic saints of Britain and Ireland]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web| url=http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/history_dedication.php| title=Dedication of the Cathedral| website=Westminster Cathedral| access-date=2018-07-12| archive-date=13 July 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713011737/http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/history_dedication.php| url-status=usurped}}</ref>

In 1977, as part of her [[Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Silver Jubilee Celebrations]], [[Queen Elizabeth II]] visited the cathedral to view a flower show.

On 28 May 1982, the first day of his six-day pastoral visit to the United Kingdom, [[Pope John Paul II]] celebrated [[Holy Mass]] in the cathedral.

On [[Saint Andrew's Day]], 30 November  1995, at the invitation of [[Basil Cardinal Hume]], Queen Elizabeth again visited the cathedral but this time she attended Choral [[Vespers]], the first participation of the Queen in a Catholic church [[liturgy#Christianity|liturgy]] in Great Britain.

On 18 September 2010, on the third day of his four-day [[state visit]] to the United Kingdom, [[Pope Benedict XVI]] celebrated Mass in the cathedral.

In January 2011 the cathedral was the venue for the reception and later ordination of three former Anglican bishops<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12197985| title=Ex-Anglican bishops ordained as Catholics| work=[[BBC News]]| date=15 January 2011| access-date=20 February 2016}}</ref> into the newly formed [[Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham]].

In 2012, the cathedral was the host of two episodes of the [[BBC Four]] three-part documentary series named ''Catholics'': the first episode looked at women who attend and/or work at the cathedral and their faith, and the third episode looked at the men training to become priests at [[Allen Hall seminary]], and in the episode was a brief scene of their ordination at the cathedral.

In May 2021, during the Covid Pandemic and the banning of public mass, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds were wed at the Cathedral.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/catholic-church-changes-roe-v-wade-pope-francis/672235/| title=The Reinvention of the Catholic Church| magazine=[[The Atlantic]]| date=11 December 2022}}</ref>

On 16 September 2025, the funeral of [[Katharine, Duchess of Kent]], who converted to Catholicism in 1994, was held in the cathedral, the first Catholic royal funeral in the United Kingdom in modern history.<ref name="Coughlan">{{cite news |last1=Coughlan |first1=Sean |title=Royal Catholic funeral announced for Duchess of Kent |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1mx9vzmjy3o |access-date=6 September 2025 |work=BBC News |date=6 September 2025}}</ref> The [[Charles III|King]], the [[William, Prince of Wales|Prince]] and [[Catherine, Princess of Wales|Princess of Wales]] and other members of the royal family attended.<ref name="Coughlan2">{{cite news |last1=Coughlan |first1=Sean |title=King arrives but ill Queen misses Duchess of Kent's funeral |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpq5eynnn8ro |access-date=16 September 2025 |work=BBC News |date=16 September 2025}}</ref>

==Architecture==
{{more citations needed section|date=April 2015}}

Westminster Cathedral is the [[List of largest church buildings|50th largest church in the world]] in terms of interior area (5,017m²), seating up to 2,000 people. It is the 38th largest Catholic church globally in terms of interior area.

The whole building, in the [[Neo-Byzantine architecture|neo-Byzantine]] style, covers a floor area of about {{convert|5017|m2|sqft}}; the dominating factor of the scheme, apart from the [[campanile]], being a spacious and uninterrupted [[nave]], {{convert|18|m|ft}} wide and {{convert|70|m|ft}} long from the narthex to the sanctuary steps, covered with [[domical vault]]ing.<ref>{{cite book| first=Winefride de| last=L'Hôpital| title=Westminster Cathedral and its Architect| url=https://archive.org/details/westminstercathe01lhop/page/46/mode/2up?q=%22the+nave%2C+60+ft.+wide%22| volume=1| page=47| publisher=Dodd, Mead and Co| location=New York| year=1919| access-date=September 16, 2025}}</ref>

In planning the nave, a system of supports was adopted not unlike that to be seen in most Gothic cathedrals, where huge, yet narrow, [[buttresses]] are projected at intervals, and stiffened by transverse walls, arcading and vaulting. Unlike in a [[Gothic cathedral]], at Westminster they are limited to the interior. The main piers and [[transverse arch]]es that support the domes divide the nave into three bays, each about {{convert|395|m2|sqft}}. The domes rest on the arches at a height of {{convert|27|m|ft}} from the floor, the total internal height being {{convert|34|m|ft}}.

In selecting the [[pendentive]] type of dome, of shallow concavity, for the main roofing, weight and pressure have been reduced to a minimum. The domes and pendentures are formed of concrete, and as extraneous roofs of timber were dispensed with, it was necessary to provide a thin independent outer shell of impervious stone. The concrete flat roofing around the domes is covered with asphalt. The [[sanctuary]] is essentially Byzantine in its system of construction. The extensions that open out on all sides make the corona of the dome seem independent of support.

The eastern termination of the cathedral suggests the [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]], or [[Lombardic architecture|Lombardic]] style of Northern Italy. The [[crypt]] with openings into the sanctuary, thus closely following the [[Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio]], Milan, the open colonnade under the eaves, the timber roof following the curve of the apex, are all familiar features. The large buttresses resist the pressure of a vault {{convert|14.5|m|ft|adj=on}} in span. Although the cruciform plan is not very noticeable inside the building, it is emphasised outside by the boldly projecting transepts. These with their twin gables, slated roofs, and square turrets with pyramidal stone cappings suggest a [[Norman architecture|Norman]] prototype in striking contrast to the rest of the design.

The main structural parts of the building are of brick and concrete, the latter material being used for the vaulting and domes of graduated thickness and complicated curve. Following Byzantine tradition, the interior was designed with a view to the application of marble and [[mosaic]]. Throughout the exterior, the lavish introduction of white stone bands in connection with the red brickwork (itself quite common in the immediate area) produces an impression quite foreign to the British eye. The bricks were hand-moulded and delivered by Faversham Brickfields at Faversham in Kent and Thomas Lawrence Brickworks in [[Bracknell]].<ref name=BBS>{{cite web| url=http://britishbricksoc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/BBS_110_2009_Jul_.pdf| title=Data| website=British brick society| date=July 2009 |access-date=2025-09-16}}</ref> The main entrance façade owes its composition, in a measure, to accident rather than design. The most prominent feature of the façade is the deeply recessed arch over the central entrance, flanked by tribunes, and stairway turrets. The elevation on the north, with a length of nearly {{convert|91.5|m|ft}} contrasted with the vertical lines of the campanile and the transepts, is most impressive. It rests on a continuous and plain basement of granite, and only above the flat roofing of the chapels does the structure assume a varied outline.

Marble columns, with capitals of Byzantine type, support the galleries and other subsidiary parts of the building. The marble selected for the columns was, in some instances, obtained from formations quarried by the ancient Romans, chiefly in [[Greece]].

===High altar===
The central feature of the decoration in the cathedral is the baldacchino over the [[Altar|high altar]]. This is one of the largest structures of its kind, the total width being {{convert|9.5|m|ft}}, and the height {{convert|11.5|m|ft}}. The upper part of white marble is richly inlaid with coloured marbles, lapis lazuli, pearl, and gold. Eight columns of yellow marble, from [[Verona]], support the [[baldacchino]] over the high altar, and others, white and pink, from [[Norway]], support the organ galleries.

Behind the baldacchino the [[crypt]] emerges above the floor of the [[sanctuary]], and the podium thus formed is broken in the middle by the steps that lead up to the [[Retroquire|retro-choir]]. The curved wall of the crypt is lined with narrow slabs of green carystran marble. Opening out of this crypt is a smaller chamber, directly under the high altar. Here are laid the remains of the first two [[Archbishop of Westminster|Archbishops of Westminster]], [[Nicholas Wiseman|Cardinal Wiseman]] and [[Henry Edward Manning|Cardinal Manning]]. The altar and [[relics]] of [[Edmund Rich|Saint Edmund of Canterbury]] occupy a recess on the south side of the chamber. The little chapel of [[Thomas Becket|Saint Thomas of Canterbury]], entered from the north transept, is used as a [[chantry]] for [[Herbert Vaughan|Cardinal Vaughan]]. A large Byzantine style [[crucifix]], suspended from the sanctuary arch, dominates the nave.

===Chapels===
The chapel of the [[Blessed Sacrament]], on the north side of the sanctuary, and the [[Lady Chapel]] on the south, are entered from the transepts; they are 6.7&nbsp;m (22&nbsp;ft) wide, lofty, with open arcades, barrel vaulting, and apsidal ends. Over the altar of the Blessed Sacrament chapel a small baldacchino is suspended from the vault, and the chapel is enclosed with bronze grilles and gates through which people may enter. In the Lady Chapel the walls are clad in marble and the altar [[reredos]] is a mosaic of the [[Virgin and Child]], surrounded by a white marble frame. The conches of the chapel contain predominantly blue mosaics of the [[Old Testament]] prophets [[Daniel (biblical figure)|Daniel]], [[Isaiah]], [[Jeremiah]] and [[Ezekiel]]. Unlike the Blessed Sacrament chapel, the chapel dedicated to the [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Blessed Mother]] is completely open. The building of the Lady Chapel was funded by [[Jane Weld|Baroness Weld]] in memory of her second husband.<ref>{{Cite ODNB |last=Cooksey |first=Pamela |title=Weld, Jane Charlotte [known as Baroness Weld] (1806–1871), convert to Catholicism and benefactor |date=2007-10-04 |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-95696 |access-date=2023-05-14 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/95696 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8}}</ref>

Those chapels which may be entered from the aisles of the nave are also {{convert|6.7|m|ft}} wide, and roofed with simple [[barrel vault]]ing. The chapel of Saints [[Pope Gregory I|Gregory]] and [[Augustine of Canterbury|Augustine]], next to the [[baptistery]], from which it is separated by an open screen of marble, was the first to have its decoration completed. The marble lining of the piers rises to the [[springing level]] of the vaulting and this level has determined the height of the altar reredos, and of the screen opposite. On the side wall, under the windows, the marble [[Dado (architecture)|dado]] rises to but little more than half this height. From the [[cornice]]s the mosaic decoration begins on the walls and vault. This general arrangement applies to all the chapels yet each has its own distinct artistic character. Thus, in sharp contrast to the chapel dedicated to [[St. Gregory]] and [[Augustine of Canterbury|St. Augustine]] which contains vibrant mosaics, the chapel of the [[Soul|Holy Souls]] employs a more subdued, almost funereal style, decoration with late Victorian on a background of silver.<ref name=trial>{{cite web| url=http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/tour_mosaics.php| title=Cathedral Mosaics: Part I – Trial and Error| first=Patrick| last=Rogers| date=July 2004| work=Oremus| access-date=16 July 2011| archive-date=30 May 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530235721/http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/tour_mosaics.php| url-status=usurped}}</ref>

As in many Catholic churches, there are the [[Stations of the Cross]] to be found along the outer aisles. The ones at Westminster Cathedral are by the sculptor [[Eric Gill]], and are considered to be amongst the finest examples of his work.<ref name="sacred-destinations" />

==Mosaics==
When the cathedral's architect John Bentley died, there were no completed mosaics in the cathedral and Bentley left behind precious little in terms of sketches and designs. Consequently, the subject and styles of the mosaics were influenced by donors as well as designers, overseen by a cathedral committee established for this purpose. Indeed, Bentley's influence is, in reality, only seen in the chapel dedicated to the Holy Souls.<ref name=trial/> Due to the prevailing absence of any real designs by Bentley, there was no real agreement as to how the mosaics should look, and in one instance, works already installed (in the [[Sacred Heart]] shrine) were removed after the death of the artist, George Bridge.<ref name=trial/>

Mosaics installed during the period 1912–1916 were mostly done by devotees of the [[Arts and Crafts Movement]]. Those in the Lady Chapel were installed by the experienced mosaicist [[Gertrude Martin]] (who had worked with George Bridge), in 1912–1913. The work was supervised by Anning Bell and Marshall, who later designed the mosaic of [[Christ enthroned]] which is above the entrance to the cathedral. The [[Tympanum (architecture)|Tympanum]] of the portal shows in a Byzantine mosaic technique from left to right the kneeling [[Saint Peter|St Peter]] with the [[Keys of Heaven]], the [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]], [[Jesus Christ]] as [[Christ Pantocrator|Pantocrator]] on the throne, [[Saint Joseph|St Joseph]], the Nursing Father of Jesus with a [[Lilium|lily]] in his right hand, and in a kneeling position the canonized English King [[Edward the Confessor]] in royal regalia. As Jesus Christ blesses the viewer with his right hand, he holds in his left hand the [[Book of Life]]. The Latin inscription of the opened book pages reads: ''Ego sum ostium per me si quis introierit salvabitur'' (I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved; [[Gospel of John]] 10,9).

The mosaics in the chapel dedicated to [[Saint Andrew]], paid for by [[John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquis of Bute|The 4th Marquess of Bute]], also belong to work of the Arts and Craft Movement.<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/tour_mosaics.php| title=Cathedral Mosaics: Part III – The Arts and Crafts Men| first=Patrick| last=Rogers| date=July 2004| journal=Oremus| access-date=16 July 2011| archive-date=30 May 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530235721/http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/tour_mosaics.php| url-status=dead}}</ref>

The five-year period 1930 to 1935 saw a tremendous amount of work done, with mosaics placed in the Lady Chapel, in the alcoves above the confessionals, in the crypt dedicated to [[Saint Peter]], and on the sanctuary arch.

No new mosaics were installed until 1950 when one depicting [[St Thérèse of Lisieux]] (later replaced by a bronze) was placed in the south transept and another, in 1952, in memory of those in the Royal Army Medical Corps who died in [[World War II]], in the chapel of [[Saint George]]. From 1960 to 1962, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel was decorated in a traditional, early Christian style, with the mosaics being predominantly pale pink in order to afford a sense of light and space. The designer, [[Boris Anrep]], chose various [[Eucharist]]ic themes such as the sacrifice of [[Cain and Abel|Abel]], the hospitality of [[Abraham]] and the gathering of the [[manna]] in the wilderness, as well as the [[Feeding the multitude]] and the [[Marriage at Cana|Wedding Feast at Cana]]. In his old age, Anrep also acted as adviser and principal sketch artist for the mosaics installed in the chapel of [[Paul the Apostle|Saint Paul]] (1964–1965).<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/tour_mosaics.php| title=Cathedral Mosaics: Part V – A Russian Perspective| first=Patrick| last=Rogers| date=July 2004| work=Oremus| access-date=16 July 2011| archive-date=30 May 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530235721/http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/tour_mosaics.php| url-status=usurped}}</ref> These mosaics depict various moments in the life of Paul; his occupation as a tent-maker, his [[Conversion of Paul the Apostle|conversion]] to Christ, the shipwreck on [[Malta]] and his eventual execution in [[Ancient Rome|Rome]].

It was not until the visit of [[Pope John Paul II]] in 1982 that the next mosaic was installed above the north-west entrance. Rather than a scene, this mosaic is an inscription: ''Porta sis ostium pacificum per eum qui se ostium appellavit, Jesus Christum'' (May this door be the gate of peace through Him who called Himself the gate, Jesus Christ). In 1999, the mosaic of [[Saint Patrick]], holding a [[shamrock]] and a [[crosier|pastoral staff]] as well as trampling on a snake, was installed at the entrance to the chapel in his honour. In 2001, a striking mosaic of [[Saint Alban]], strongly influenced by the style of early Byzantine iconography, was installed by the designer, Christopher Hobbs. Due to the very favourable reception of the work, Hobbs was commissioned for further mosaics: the chapel to [[Saint Joseph]] which contains mosaics of the [[Holy Family]] (2003) and men working on Westminster Cathedral (2006). Hobbs also did the chapel in honour of [[Saint]] [[Thomas Becket]] illustrating the saint standing in front of the old [[Canterbury Cathedral]] on the chapel's east wall and the murder of Thomas on the west wall. The vault is decorated with a design of flowers, [[tendril]]s and [[roundel]]s (2006). {{As of|2011}}, there were plans for further mosaics, including depictions of [[Saint Francis of Assisi]] and [[Anthony of Padua|Saint Anthony]] in the [[narthex]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/tour_mosaics.php| title=Cathedral Mosaics: Part VI – The Journey proceeds| first=Patrick| last=Rogers| date=July 2004| work=Oremus| access-date=16 July 2011| archive-date=30 May 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530235721/http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/tour_mosaics.php| url-status=usurped}}</ref>

==Music==
Despite its relatively short history compared to other English cathedrals, Westminster has a distinguished choral tradition. It has its origin in the shared vision of [[Cardinal Vaughan]], the cathedral's founder, and Sir [[Richard Runciman Terry]], its inaugural Master of Music. Terry prepared his choristers for a year before their first sung service in public. For the remainder of his tenure (until 1924) he pursued a celebrated revival of great quantities of [[Latin]] repertoire from the [[English Renaissance]], most of which had lain unsung ever since the Reformation. Students at the [[Royal College of Music]] who would become household names were introduced to their heritage when [[Charles Villiers Stanford]] sent them to the cathedral to hear "[[polyphony]] for a penny" (the bus fare). This programme also required honing the boys' sight-reading ability to a then-unprecedented standard.

The choir has commissioned many works from distinguished composers, many of whom are better known for their contribution to [[Anglican church music|Anglican music]], such as [[Benjamin Britten]] and [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]]. However, the choir is particularly renowned for its performance of [[Gregorian chant]] and polyphony of the [[Renaissance]].

Unlike most other English cathedrals, Westminster does not have a separate [[Choir (architecture)|quire]]; instead, the choir are hidden from view in the [[apse]], or [[retroquire|retro-choir]], behind the [[high altar]]. This, with the excellent acoustic of the cathedral building, contributes to its distinctive sound.

Located in the west gallery, the Grand Organ of four manuals and 81 stops occupies a more commanding position than many British cathedral organs enjoy. Built by Henry Willis III from 1922 to 1932, it remains one of the most successful and admired.  One of [[Louis Vierne]]'s best-known organ pieces, ''[[Carillon de Westminster]]'', the final movement from Suite no. 3 (op. 54) of Pièces de Fantaisie, was originally improvised on it in 1924,<ref>{{cite web| url=https://westminstercathedral.org.uk/music/the-grand-organ/| website=Westminster Cathedral| title=The Grand Organ| access-date=11 September 2023}}</ref> and the subsequent 1927 published version is dedicated to Willis.

The apse organ of fifteen stops was built in 1910 by [[Lewis & Co]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.organrecitals.com/westcath.php| title=Westminster Cathedral| publisher=Organrecitals.com| access-date=20 February 2016| archive-date=22 December 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222133149/http://www.organrecitals.com/westcath.php| url-status=usurped}}</ref> Although the Grand Organ has its own attached console, a console in the apse can play both instruments.

On 3 May 1902, some 3,000 people attended a concert of sacred music in the cathedral, organised to raise money for the Choir School and to test the acoustics in the building. The music was provided by an orchestra of a hundred and a choir of two hundred, including the Cathedral Choir, directed by Richard Terry.  The programme included music by [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]], [[Henry Purcell|Purcell]], [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]], [[Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina|Palestrina]], [[William Byrd|Byrd]] and [[Thomas Tallis|Tallis]]. The acoustics proved to be excellent.<ref>Rogers, Patrick Rogers (2012). ''Westminster Cathedral. An Illustrated History'', London: ''Oremus''. p. 44.</ref> One year later, on 6 June 1903, the first performance in London of ''[[The Dream of Gerontius]]'', a poem by Cardinal [[John Henry Newman]], set to music by [[Edward Elgar]], took place in the cathedral. The composer himself conducted, with Richard Terry at the organ.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/13th-june-1903/7/-gerontius-at-the-westminster-cathedral| title="Gerontius" At The Westminster Cathedral| access-date=17 June 2016| archive-date=22 September 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922071434/http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/13th-june-1903/7/-gerontius-at-the-westminster-cathedral| url-status=usurped| newspaper=The Tablet| location=London| date=13 June 1903| page=7}}</ref>  Once again, the proceeds went to support the Cathedral Choir School.

John Tavener's ''The Beautiful Names'', a setting of the 99 names of Allah found in the [[Quran|Qur'an]], premièred in the cathedral on 19 June 2007, in a performance by the [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]] and [[BBC Symphony Chorus|Chorus]] in the presence of [[Charles, Prince of Wales]].<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://catholicactionuk.blogspot.com/2007/05/allah-to-be-glorified-in-westminster.html| journal=Catholic Action UK| date=20 June 2007| title=Allah to be glorified in Westminster Cathedral| access-date=20 February 2016}}</ref>

==Choir==
The founder of Westminster Cathedral, [[Cardinal Herbert Vaughan]] laid great emphasis on the beauty and integrity of the cathedral's liturgy. Initially, he determined there should be a community of Benedictine monks at the new cathedral, performing the liturgies and singing the daily Office. This caused great resentment amongst the secular clergy of the diocese, who felt they were being snubbed. In the end, negotiations with both the English Benedictines and the community of French Benedictines at [[St Michael's Abbey, Farnborough|Farnborough]] failed and a traditional choir of men and boys was set up instead.<ref>Stack, Mgr. George. ''Westminster Cathedral 1895–1995''. A souvenir brochure.  p. 16.</ref> Despite great financial problems, the Choir School opened on 5 October 1901 with eleven boy choristers, in the building originally intended for the monks. Cardinal Vaughan received the boys with the words "You are the foundation stones".<ref>{{cite book| first=Alan| last=Mould| title=The English Chorister. A History| url=https://archive.org/details/englishchorister0000moul/page/220/mode/2up?q=%22westminster+cathedral%22| publisher=Hambledon Continuum| location=London| year=2007| page=221| isbn=978-1-8528-5513-0}}</ref> The Cathedral Choir was officially instituted three months later in January 1902.<ref>Rogers, Patrick (2012). ''Westminster Cathedral. An Illustrated History''. London, 2012, p.38.</ref> Sung Masses and Offices were immediately established when the cathedral opened for worship in 1903 and, notwithstanding a short hiatus during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], have continued without interruption ever since.

In September 2020, Cardinal Vincent Nichols responded to a strategic review of sacred music at Westminster Cathedral, asking that "all those who profess to be fervent supporters of this precious inheritance of sacred music to become regular contributors to its financial support. It is, unquestionably, time to look ahead in order to ensure that this tradition of sacred music in Westminster Cathedral...can be put onto a firm footing for years to come."<ref>{{cite web| title=Cardinal's Response to Strategic Review of Sacred Music| url=https://rcdow.org.uk/cardinal/news/cardinals-response-to-strategic-review-of-sacred-music/| access-date=2021-12-14| website=Diocese of Westminster| date=25 September 2020| language=en-gb}}</ref>

When the question of a musical director was first considered, the choice fell on the singer Sir [[Charles Santley]], who had conducted the choir of the [[Our Lady of Victories, Kensington|pro-cathedral]] in [[Kensington]] on several occasions. But Santley knew his limitations and refused.<ref>Rev. Lancelot Long, ''A "Song School" Jubilee''. Article in ''The Tablet'', 2 October 1926.</ref> Richard Runciman Terry—Director of Music at [[Downside School|Downside Abbey School]]—then became the first director of music of Westminster Cathedral. It proved to be an inspired choice. Terry was both a brilliant choir trainer and a pioneering scholar, one of the first musicologists to revive the great works of the English and other European Renaissance composers. Terry built Westminster Cathedral Choir's reputation on performances of music—by [[William Byrd|Byrd]], [[Thomas Tallis|Tallis]], [[John Taverner|Taverner]], [[Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina|Palestrina]] and [[Tomás Luis de Victoria|Victoria]], among others—that had not been heard since the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and, in addition to the lay faithful, Mass at the cathedral was soon attended by inquisitive musicians. The performance of great Renaissance Masses and motets in their proper liturgical context remains the cornerstone of the choir's activity.

Terry resigned in 1924, and was succeeded by Canon Lancelot Long who had been one of the original eleven choristers in 1901.

At the beginning of the [[Second World War]], the boys were at first evacuated to [[Uckfield]] in East Sussex, but eventually the Choir School was closed altogether for the remainder of the war. The music at the cathedral was performed by a reduced body of professional men singers.<ref>{{cite book| first=Peter| last=Doyle| title=Westminster Cathedral 1895–1995| publisher=Geoffrey Chapman| location=London| year=1995| page=64| isbn=978-0-2256-6684-7}}</ref> During this period, from 1941 to 1947, the Master of Music was William Hyde, who had been the sub-organist under Richard Terry.<ref>{{cite journal| title=Archives of the Faith| journal=The Tablet| date=6 February 1954| page=18| url=https://reader.exacteditions.com/issues/71047/page/19| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Hyde was succeeded by [[George Malcolm (musician)|George Malcolm]], who developed the continental sound of the choir and consolidated its musical reputation—in particular through the now legendary recording of Victoria's ''[[Tenebrae Responsories (Victoria)|Tenebrae responsories]]''. More recent holders of the post have included Francis Cameron, [[Colin Mawby]], [[Stephen Cleobury]], [[David Hill (choral director)|David Hill]], [[James O'Donnell (organist)|James O'Donnell]] and [[Martin Baker (organist)|Martin Baker]]. In May 2021, Simon Johnson was appointed as the Master of Music.<ref>{{cite web| title=Westminster Cathedral Appoints Simon Johnson as Master of Music| url=https://www.rhinegold.co.uk/choir_organ/westminster-cathedral-appoint-simon-johnson-as-master-of-music/|access-date=2021-07-18|website=Rhinegold|language=en}}</ref>

In addition to its performances of Renaissance masterpieces, Westminster Cathedral Choir has given many first performances of music written especially for it by contemporary composers. Terry gave the premières of music by [[Ralph Vaughan Williams|Vaughan Williams]] (whose ''Mass in G minor'' received its liturgical performance at a Mass in the cathedral), [[Gustav Holst]], [[Herbert Howells]] and [[Charles Wood (composer)|Charles Wood]]; in 1959 [[Benjamin Britten]] wrote his ''Missa brevis'' for the choristers; and since 1960 works by [[Lennox Berkeley]], [[William Mathias]], Colin Mawby and [[Francis Grier]] have been added to the repertoire. Most recently four new Masses—by [[Roxanna Panufnik]], [[James MacMillan]], Sir [[Peter Maxwell Davies]] and [[Judith Bingham]]—have received their first performance in the cathedral. In June 2005 the choristers performed the world première of Sir [[John Tavener]]'s ''Missa Brevis'' for boys' voices.

Westminster Cathedral Choir made its first recording in 1907 and many more have followed in the [[Westminster Cathedral Choir discography]]. Following a series of albums on the [[Hyperion Records|Hyperion]] label, recent recordings have been made by the "Ad Fontes" label, based in [[Buckfast Abbey]] and specialising in sacred music in the Catholic tradition. Many awards have also been conferred on the choir's recordings. Of these the most prestigious are the 1998 Gramophone Awards for both Best Choral Recording of the Year and Record of the Year, for the performance of [[Frank Martin (composer)|Martin]]'s ''Mass for Double Choir'' and [[Ildebrando Pizzetti|Pizzetti's]] ''Requiem'', conducted by O'Donnell. It is the only cathedral choir to have won in either of these categories.

When its duties at the cathedral permit, the choir also gives concert performances both at home and abroad. It has appeared at many important festivals, including [[Aldeburgh]], [[Cheltenham]], Salzburg, Copenhagen, [[Bremen]] and [[Spitalfields]]. It has appeared in many of the major concert halls of Britain, including the [[Royal Festival Hall]], the [[Wigmore Hall]] and the [[Royal Albert Hall]]. The cathedral choir also broadcasts frequently on radio and television.

Westminster Cathedral Choir has undertaken a number of international tours, including visits to Hungary, Germany and the US. The choristers participated in the 2003 and 2006 International [[Gregorian chant]] Festival in [[Watou]], Belgium, and the full choir performed twice at the [[Oslo]] International Church Music Festival in March 2006. In April 2005, 2007 and 2008 they performed as part of the "Due Organi in Concerto" festival in [[Milan]]. In October 2011, they sang the inaugural concert of the Institute for Sacred Music at [[College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University|Saint John's]] in [[Minnesota]].

The cathedral is frequently referred to as the "Drome". This dates from the early 20th century days when the Lay Clerks were represented by Equity—the trade union for actors and variety artists. In the profession, it was jokingly referred to as "The Westminster Hippodrome"—a nickname which was later shortened to the "Drome".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/downloads/November17Website.pdf| title=In Conversation with Nick Keay| magazine=Oremus| date=November 2017| pages=8–9| access-date=16 September 2025| archive-date=4 November 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104211225/http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/downloads/November17Website.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==''Oremus'' magazine==

Westminster Cathedral has published a monthly magazine since 1896, before the building work was completed. The latest in a series of titles is ''Oremus'', which first appeared in 1996. (The Latin word ''oremus'' translates into English as "Let us pray".) ''Oremus'' is a 28-page colour magazine, which contains features and articles by well-known members of the Catholic community, as well as non-Catholic commentators and leading figures within British society. Edited by Lorcán Keller, it is the successor of titles such as the ''Westminster Cathedral Record'', selling at 6d per copy from January 1896, the ''Westminster Cathedral Chronicle'', a monthly, available from January 1907 at 2d a copy or 3/- a year, post paid, and the ''Westminster Cathedral Bulletin'', first published in 1974. Dylan Parry, who edited the magazine between 2012 and August 2016, took the decision to make ''Oremus'' a free publication in 2013. The magazine is also available to download via Westminster Cathedral's website <ref>{{cite web| title=Oremus – The Cathedral Magazine| url=https://westminstercathedral.org.uk/our-community/oremus/| website=Westminster Cathedral| access-date=8 May 2025}}</ref> and at Issuu.<ref>{{cite web| title=Oremus| url=https://issuu.com/rcwestminster/stacks/012972efbb634c4db2aac27f28ec87c9| website=Issuu| access-date=8 May 2025}}</ref>

==Burials==
In order of years of office:
*[[Richard Challoner]] (1691–1781) Vicar Apostolic of the London District (Re-interred in the cathedral 1946)
*[[Nicholas Wiseman]] (28 September 1850&nbsp;– 15 February 1865) First Archbishop of Westminster upon the re-establishment of the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales in 1850. (Re-interred in the cathedral 1907)<ref>{{cite web| title=Edward Pugin's Tomb of Cardinal Wiseman| url=https://catholicnewslive.com/story/555732| date=25 November 2015| magazine=Oremus| via=Catholic News Live| access-date=16 September 2025}}</ref>
*[[Henry Edward Manning]] (16 May 1865&nbsp;– 14 January 1892) Archbishop of Westminster. (Re-interred in the cathedral 1907)
*[[Herbert Vaughan]] (8 April 1832&nbsp;– 19 June 1903) Archbishop of Westminster. (Re-interred in the cathedral 2005)<ref>{{cite news| title=Cardinal Vaughan returns to his Cathedral| url=https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/11943| date=15 March 2005| website=Independent Catholic News}}</ref>
*[[Arthur Hinsley]] (1 April 1935&nbsp;– 17 March 1943) Archbishop of Westminster
*[[Bernard Griffin]] (18 December 1943&nbsp;– 19 August 1956) Archbishop of Westminster
*[[William Godfrey]] (3 December 1956&nbsp;– 22 January 1963) Archbishop of Westminster
*[[John Heenan (bishop)|John Heenan]] (22 February 1965&nbsp;– 7 November 1975) Archbishop of Westminster
*[[Basil Hume]] (9 February 1976&nbsp;– 17 June 1999) Archbishop of Westminster<ref>{{cite news| title=Cardinal Basil Hume buried in London| url=https://www.rte.ie/news/1999/0625/2252-hume/| date=25 June 1999| work=[[RTÉ]]}}</ref>
*[[Cormac Murphy-O'Connor]] (15 February 2000&nbsp;– 3 April 2009) (Died on 1 September 2017) Archbishop of Westminster and first emeritus Archbishop, since the other holders died in office.<ref>{{cite news| title=Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor buried at Westminster Cathedral| url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41249016| date=13 September 2017| work=BBC News| access-date=16 September 2025}}</ref>

Since 2005, [[Francis Bourne]] (11 September 1903&nbsp;– 1 January 1935) remains the only deceased Archbishop of Westminster not buried in the cathedral. His body was buried in [[St Edmund's College, Ware]], and his heart in [[St George's Cathedral, Southwark]] (formerly in [[St John's Seminary, Wonersh]], until its closure in 2020).

Other burials include [[John Southworth (martyr)|Saint John Southworth]], (re-interred/enshrined in the cathedral 1930), and [[Alexander von Benckendorff (diplomat)|Count Alexander Von Benckendorff]] (crypt), the Russian ambassador to the [[Court of St James's]] from 1903 until his death in 1917. Benckendorff is the only lay person buried in Westminster Cathedral.

== In popular culture==
[[File:Westminster Cathedral by Brian Whelan.jpg|thumb|Westminster Cathedral by [[Brian Whelan]]]]
* In [[Monsignor]] [[Robert Hugh Benson]]'s [[Christian eschatology|apocalyptic]] science fiction novel ''[[Lord of the World]]'', Westminster Cathedral is the only church in London still used for religious purposes. The others have all been confiscated by the state.
* The Campanile Bell Tower of Westminster Cathedral was featured prominently in the [[Alfred Hitchcock]] film ''[[Foreign Correspondent (film)|Foreign Correspondent]]'', at which the attempted murder of a journalist played by [[Joel McCrea]] took place.
* In [[Shekhar Kapur]]'s ''[[Elizabeth: The Golden Age]]'' scenes taking place at [[El Escorial]] were shot in Westminster Cathedral.
* The cathedral has been painted by London-born Irish artist [[Brian Whelan]].

==See also==
*[[List of churches and cathedrals of London]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
* This article incorporates text (concerning architecture) from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Westminster Cathedral". ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. Robert Appleton Company.
* Winefride de L'Hôpital. ''Westminster Cathedral and Its Architect'', 2 vols. Dodd, Mead & Co., New York (1919).
* Patrick Rogers. ''Westminster Cathedral: from Darkness to Light''. Burns & Continuum International Publishing Group, London (2003). {{ISBN|0-86012-358-8}}.
* Peter Doyle. ''Westminster Cathedral: 1895–1995''. Geoffrey Chapman Publishers, London (1995). {{ISBN|978-0-225-66684-7}}.
* John Browne and Timothy Dean. ''Westminster Cathedral: Building of Faith''. Booth-Clibborn Editions, London (1995). {{ISBN|1-873968-45-0}}.
* John Jenkins and Alana Harris, 'More English than the English, more Roman than Rome? Historical signifiers and cultural memory at Westminster Cathedral', ''Religion'' 49:1 (2019), pp.&nbsp;48–73 https://doi.org/10.1080/0048721X.2018.1515328

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website}}
*[http://newadvent.org/cathen/15599a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Westminster Cathedral]

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