Catholic voice for Dome's Spirit Zone

BY LUKE COPPEN
A CATHOLIC priest, Canon Nicholas Rothon, has been appointed to the team overseeing Christian millennium celebrations.
Canon Rothon, a millennium adviser to the English bishops, joined the ecumenical millennium committee, organised by Churches Together in England, in March.
In the new post, based at Church House, Westminster, Canon Rothon is helping to co-ordinate Christian preparations for the year 2000. He is also closely involved with the Lambeth Group — the interfaith body lobbying the Government for a spiritual input into the Millennium Dome. Canon Rothon, formerly financial secretary to Southwark Diocese, said that consultations with the Government were at an early stage, but guaranteed a strong Christian presence in the Dome. "The details haven't been settled yet. But certainly the spirit zone will have a very specific Christian content.
"We've bad a very fair and favourable relationship with the National Millennium Experience Company — the people promoting the Dome. They've been very positive and very helpful."
Canon Rothon's work at Church House is not confined to the Dome. He is also working on the ambitious New Start project, which calls for a new approach to social problems in Britain and abroad.
"All these things promote the understanding that the millennium is the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ," Canon Rothon said.