Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt Rev George Carey"It brings home to us the fragility of life. And as the Bible says, in the midst of life we are in death. We need to be reminded, and we are reminded through the death of a young person like this that death is only inches away from each one of us."Perhaps it will help us all to focus on the really important things in life, human love and relationships, and faith in God... "We cope, for example, by holding on to the things that she believed in, and maybe by her story that human weakness can be transcended by the inner power we have and the grace of God which can cope with the tragedies of life."
Cardinal Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster, Leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales"We ask why, why?We did so at Dunblane and Aberfan We do so now. Death is a formidable foe until we learn to make it a friend. Death is to be feared if we do not learn to welcome it. Death is the ultimate absurdity if we do not see it as fulfilment. Death haunts us when viewed as a journey into nothingness, Rather than a pilgrimage to a place where true happiness is to be found. The human mind cannot understand death. We face it with fear and uncertainty, revulsion even; Or we turn away from the thought for it is too hard to bear. But faith gives answers when reason fails. The strong instinct to live points to immortality. Faith admits us into death's secrets. Death is not the end of the road, but a gateway to a better place. It is in this place that our noblest aspirations will be realised It is here that we will understand how our experiences of goodness, love, beauty and joy are realities which exist perfectly in God. It is in heaven that we shall rest in Him and our hearts will be restless until they rest in God.
We, left to continue our pilgrimage through life, weep and mourn.
Chief Rabbi, Dr Jonathan Sacks"What was it about Diana, Princess of Wales, that spoke so eloquently to those who suffer? Seeing again those moving pictures of her comforting the afflicted, and bringing the attention of the world to those whose plight was so often neglected, I am reminded of an old Jewish saying: 'When you are cold, there are two ways of keeping warm. One is to buy a heavy coat. The other is to light a fire. Buy a coat and you keep yourself warm. Light a fire and you share your warmth with others.'"The Princess of Wales shared her warmth with others and lit the fire of compassion in many hearts. She taught us that by sharing our vulnerabilities we discover strength together"
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