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British Universities do well at catering for the welfare of staff and students. Despite the secularity of their modern constitutions, spiritual needs are catered for by the establishment of group of pastoral and spiritual advisors drawn from the full range of world religious backgrounds. They are known as 'Recognised Chaplains'. As staff and students have come to be drawn increasingly from all over the world, representatives of all great faiths have been recognised as University Chaplains. Cardiff, and the other Welsh Universities have their lists of 'Recognised Chaplains'. Usually, religious communities provide their own base for their chaplain.
In Cardiff, Anglican, Methodist and Roman Catholic churches have special Chaplaincy buildings. In some institutions, Chaplains are offered use of an office on campus, in a way that avoids compromising its secular constitution, often related to general 'welfare' provision, as a service to students.
Birmingham University is exceptional in having a Chaplaincy Centre on campus, right next to the Students' Union. St Francis Hall (pictured left) was a gift from Quaker philanthropist Edward Cadbury, a mid twentieth century multi-culturalist. His vision was that the place should be welcoming to people of all faiths. Thus, for the past seventy years, regular meetings for worship of Jewish, Muslim, and different Christian groups have taken place there.
A cross is fixed to the wall in the rooms used for prayer, but curtains can be drawn in front of it, when other faith groups use it. It's a statement about the Christian venture of hospitality this building represents. While this willingness to conceal the symbol of faith offends some zealots, it is generally understood to be an act of courtesy, in the spirit of the the original gift.
Pass from here to Edgbaston Crematorium, and you find in the lobby of the Ministers' Vestry a small selection of exchangeable religious symbols, cross, crucifix, crescent, wheel of life, which the officiant can ask to be placed in the funeral chapel for the ceremony in question. It's an indication of the religious variety found in a great city. Although it's also a secular institution, the City welcomes and accepts its spiritual diversity, and understands it as part of its strength, not as a quirk to be ignored or at best tolerated.
How fares Cardiff?
British Universities do well at catering for the welfare of staff and students. Despite the secularity of their modern constitutions, spiritual needs are catered for by the establishment of group of pastoral and spiritual advisors drawn from the full range of world religious backgrounds. They are known as 'Recognised Chaplains'. As staff and students have come to be drawn increasingly from all over the world, representatives of all great faiths have been recognised as University Chaplains. Cardiff, and the other Welsh Universities have their lists of 'Recognised Chaplains'. Usually, religious communities provide their own base for their chaplain.
In Cardiff, Anglican, Methodist and Roman Catholic churches have special Chaplaincy buildings. In some institutions, Chaplains are offered use of an office on campus, in a way that avoids compromising its secular constitution, often related to general 'welfare' provision, as a service to students.
Birmingham University is exceptional in having a Chaplaincy Centre on campus, right next to the Students' Union. St Francis Hall (pictured left) was a gift from Quaker philanthropist Edward Cadbury, a mid twentieth century multi-culturalist. His vision was that the place should be welcoming to people of all faiths. Thus, for the past seventy years, regular meetings for worship of Jewish, Muslim, and different Christian groups have taken place there.A cross is fixed to the wall in the rooms used for prayer, but curtains can be drawn in front of it, when other faith groups use it. It's a statement about the Christian venture of hospitality this building represents. While this willingness to conceal the symbol of faith offends some zealots, it is generally understood to be an act of courtesy, in the spirit of the the original gift.
Pass from here to Edgbaston Crematorium, and you find in the lobby of the Ministers' Vestry a small selection of exchangeable religious symbols, cross, crucifix, crescent, wheel of life, which the officiant can ask to be placed in the funeral chapel for the ceremony in question. It's an indication of the religious variety found in a great city. Although it's also a secular institution, the City welcomes and accepts its spiritual diversity, and understands it as part of its strength, not as a quirk to be ignored or at best tolerated.
How fares Cardiff?
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