Mary Rose seamen may be given Catholic burial

THE REMAINS of seamen who were drowned more than 500 years ago when the Mary Rose sank off Portsmouth may be giVen a funeral service in which Catholic clergy will take part.
The Mary Rose Trust, which is responsible for the £5 million recovery and excavation of the wreck which sank in the reign of Henry VIII, said this week that the remains of the men found on the ship would be "laid to rest" at some time, probably in Portsmouth.
A Trust spokesman said that there would be some sort of service, but it was not near enough to say how it would be conducted: "We haven't thought about it in detail."
It has been suggested that though Henry VIII had broken away from the Pope in 1545 when the ship sank, the crewmen would almost all be Catholic. The Mary Rose Trust has given some consideration to an interdenominational service, but has made no decision.
Mgr Vaughan Morgan, Principal Catholic Royal Naval Chaplain, said that the question was one of some interest. It was true that a Rosary had been found on board the ship.
Mgr Morgan was willing to take part in a funeral service, but would wait upon events. He was happy to leave it to individual chaplains, if they were asked.
Fr Anthony Hulse, Chaplain of HMS Nelson, the Navy shore base, said that he would be willing to take part in a funeral if asked. "It's a Christian thing to do." But he thought it better to wait till he was approached.