Why The Cardinal pub should revert to its original name, and why the Archbishop of Westminster shouldn't be opposing this change

The Catholic Herald reports today that the Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, has joined the campaign against renaming The Cardinal public house, which happens to be his local. The story is also covered by Independent Catholic News, which has posted a strongly-worded letter by Sr Gemma Simmonds CJ, who also opposes the name change. I believe, though, that the Catholic Church should not be interfering in this matter. I also believe that there are very good reasons why we should be supporting the brewery in its bid to revert to the pub's old name, The Windsor Castle.

Many readers of this blog will never have come across The Cardinal pub, which was located behind Westminster Cathedral, and had been a meeting place for Church groups for several years. The pub was closed last year for some much needed refurbishment. In fact, The Cardinal had become a bit shabby over the years, and locals had raised concerns regarding the noise pollution as well as the rowdy behaviour, which often spilled onto the streets. The place had earned itself such a bad reputation that the Cathedral's young adults' group began meeting at The Phoenix (opposite Westminster Cathedral) well before The Cardinal was closed down. Therefore, I for one, was quite glad to hear that the brewery, Samuel Smith's, planned to revamp the place.

One of my favourite English cardinals is Cardinal Manning, who many think should have been beatified before Newman - but that's another matter! The Cardinal pub's sign had an image of Manning on one side and one of the incompetent Wolsey on the other. I always found this sign rather offensive to the memory of Henry Manning - a man who preached against the dangers of alcohol abuse, and who remained a teetotaller throughout his life! The image of Cardinal Wolsey, Henry VIII's rather lecherous Lord Chancellor, was also, many thought, quite an unfortunate choice. It seemed to me, that those who renamed the pub in the 1950's (for it was called The Windor Castle for a century before that) were having a bit of a joke at the Church's expense when they commissioned its sign*.

There are many more worthy causes that the Church should be campaigning for - or seen to be campaigning for, at least! Whilst society becomes more addicted to abortion, sex and celebrity, Christians remain persecuted in Pakistan, and several conflicts rage around the world, it's rather unfortunate that the Archbishop of Westminster is in the news for urging "an audience of civil servants, parliamentarians, academics and Church officials at a conference on social responsibility ... to sign the petition" against renaming The Cardinal pub! Shouldn't he have asked them to campaign against the rise of militant atheism or the persecution of Christians instead?

It also seems that the usual suspects on the "Catholic celebrity" circuit have added their names to the campaign's petition, with Ann Widdecombe saying that a change of name would be "outrageous"! She also seemed convinced that there was no connection between Windsor Castle, which "is many miles away", and the locality around Westminster Cathedral. But, the alleyway that runs along the pub is called Windsor Place (leading to Coburg Close) - which doesn't appear on Google Maps, but is there! The owner of Windor Castle also only lives a few hundred yards away! It appears that the former Abbot of Worth, Christopher Jamison, who is now works round the corner from the Cathedral, has also joined the campaign to save the bar's ecclesiastical name. One wonders, though, whether it is right for monks to be seen to be fighting over pub names in the middle of Lent? (Even if it does provide slight comedy value!)

I also know that one of Westminster Cathedral's untiring volunteers has been engaged in negotiations with representatives from Samuel Smith's for some time. Through her efforts and the brewery's good will, Samuel Smith's was thinking of donating the old pub sign, as well as the photos of various archbishops of Westminster that used to decorate the bar's interior, to the Cathedral. We can only hope that this ill-advised and not very well researched campaign "to save The Cardinal pub" will not have scuppered these negotiations.

(Update 7/4/11: I have been reading more about Cardinal Manning and it seems that he fiercely opposed the opening of pubs, especially if they were anywhere near Catholic churches. He famously tried to stop the Birkbeck Tavern in Leytonstone from being granted a licence in 1881, as it was next to a Catholic cemetery - so, please, let's have some respect for the man!)

* Even during his lifetime, a publican posted an image of Cardinal Manning in the window of his hostelry, with the words: "A warning to teetotallers!" (A humorous reference, at the Cardinal's expense, to Manning's gaunt appearance). See Henry Edward Manning - His Life and Labours, Leslie, Shane; Burns, Oates & Washbourne ; 1921.

[Image: The Cardinal pub as it appeared on Candlemas Day, 2009; the poor man walking outside was one of its patrons; the sign shows Cardinal Wolsey, whilst Manning's portrait occupied the other side - facing Archbishop's House]