The archbishop of Westminster from 1976 to his death, Cardinal Basil Hume (1923-1999) sought to increase tolerance and understanding between the Roman Catholic Church and other faiths.

As archbishop during the last quarter of the twentieth-century, Cardinal Basil Hume presided over one of the most turbulent periods of Catholicism in British history since the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther all but abolished the practice of Catholicism in England in the 16th century. From his office, Hume dealt with such issues as the declining in the number of practicing British Catholics, as well as abortion, female priests, birth control, homosexuality, the continued violence in Northern Ireland, the plight of the homeless, and married clergy. During his tenure as leader of the Catholic Church in the United Kingdom, Hume displayed a dislike for dogmatic observance of Vatican pronouncements. Rather than actively protest, however, Hume chose a more diplomatic approach, encouraging...