From Archbishop Vincent Nichols’ Homily at the 10^th Anniversary Mass of Cardinal Hume’s death, 17 June 2009:

"He was resolved, for example, that those of a homosexual orientation should not feel alienated from the Church by an insensitive or incomplete presentation of the Church’s sexual moral teaching. He insisted that we heed the Church’s teaching thatpeople are not to be defined by their sexuality, a teaching much overlooked today. Hegave fresh emphasis to a forgotten esteem for the love of genuine friendship. In facing these and other moral dilemmas he sought to uphold the greater good while never belittling our best efforts and strivings. He was a compassionate teacher, never forgetful of his own weaknesses and therefore always sensitive to the vulnerability of others. He had taken to heart the words of

St Paul which we have just heard: ‘the human race has nothing to boast about to God’ other than the grace of God at work in us. Since this comes about through Christ, he, therefore, is ‘our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness and our freedom.’ (1 Cor 1.29-30). We thank God for such an inspired teacher." 

Archbishop-elect of Birmingham Bernard Longley on the BBC Sunday Programme, 4 October 2009:

Roger Bolton (Interviewer): ……You were also instrumental in setting up, or helping to be set up, services at which lesbians and homosexuals were welcome. Do you think the Church should show, needs to show, more compassion to those minority groups?

Archbishop-elect Longley: …… Our understanding of human nature is naturally something which has deepened as scientific understanding of the human person has developed …

RB: And on the question of sexual minorities, that whereas you’re very clear that the sexual practice of homosexuals and lesbians is wrong, do you adopt the same approach that our growing understanding about the nature of human sexuality means that we have to show more compassion, the Church needs to show more compassion and understanding?

BL: I think whenever it is demonstrated that there is a deeper understanding or a different understanding of those things which pertain to human nature, the Church has always looked very carefully, discerned the truth within such deepening understanding, and tried to respond accordingly. There was concern within our own Diocese that perhaps we were not offering the kind of outreach and support, and indeed clear teaching, towards Catholics who were homosexual, within Central London.

RB: What, they felt excluded?

BL: There had been organised for some years a celebration of Mass, which was in fact in an Anglican church, and the group had enjoyed the hospitality of a local Anglican parish, and I think they were very grateful to the pastors there for that, but the perception could very easily have been that they were welcome there, in that particular church, but in none of ours, and so, (RB: And not in their own Church?) the churches in the West End of London have worked very carefully together on this. Cardinal Cormac, Archbishop Vincent’s predecessor, asked me to be involved, to work together with the group who were organizing the Mass, and to see whether there couldn’t be a way in which they were fully at home and welcomed, without ourselves in any way changing Church teaching, and happily, through discussion, we were able to come to a point where they are part of an ordinary parish community.