London, England, Apr 8, 2019 / 15:01 pm
At a ecumenical rally to call for an end to knife crime, the Archbishop of Westminster on Saturday challenged the community to provide youths with positive alternatives to gangs.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols spoke at the Standing Together rally in London's Trafalgar Square April 6. He highlighted efforts being taken by the Catholic Church to discourage gang enrollment and called for more action from parishes, schools, and parents.
"The only way of counteracting a gang culture is to create for young people a sense of belonging to something else: something that's positive, creative and attractive to them," said Nichols.
The April 6 event was hosted by Ascension Trust in partnership with London City Mission, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, and the Diocese of Southwark. The goal of the rally is to encourage the community to work against gang violence and support those who have been affected by it.