Friends say farewell to a 'great man'

CARDINAL Cormac Murphy-O'Connor will celebrate the funeral of one of Britain's longestlived social reformers at Westminster Cathedral today, writes Luke Coppen.
Hundreds of friends from all walks of life are expected to gather to pay their last respects to Lord Longford, who died last Friday in London, aged 95.
Frank Pakenham, the 7th Earl of Longford, was working on his column for The Catholic Herald days before his death. Despite being admitted to hospital in June and spending the final months of his life in a nursing home, he never failed to file his copy on time.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, who visited Lord Longford at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on the day of his death paid tribute to the peer's faith and courage in championing unpopular causes.
He said: "I remember Lord Longford as a man who was not afraid to be different. He was an outstanding Christian witness who devoted his entire life to the Catholic faith. May he rest in peace."
A Catholic since his conversion in 1940, Lord Longford wrote prolifically on religion. His publications included a book on a Humility (which he considered the best thing written on the subject) and biographies of St Francis of Assisi and Pope John Paul II.
Tony Blair, whom Lord Longford considered the most Christian prime minister since Gladstone, led tributes to the former Cabinet minister.
The Prime Minister said: "He was a great man, a man of passionate integrity and humanity and a great reformer committed to modernising the law while also caring deeply for individuals."
Lord Alton said the Labour peer was a model politician.
"Frank seemed to have been on speaking terms with everyone of any significance in politics for most of the 20th century," he said. "His faith and principles and his gentle humility were wonderful examples and he will be missed by people of all sides in politics.
"He also gave the lie to the youth culture. As a nonagenarian he continued to be faithful in his attendance in the House. Interestingly, when he made his last speech on prison reforms he said he thought it was his last speech."
Lord Longford died just two days after his fellow Charterhouse Chronicler Brian Brindley.
Brian Brindley's funeral will be held on August 16 at llam at St Etheldreda's, Ely Place, London. Fr Anthony Symondson SJ will preach.
Obituary — p6 Tribute — p12