Speaking to a packed congregation at Gloucester Cathedral, he said:
“There is a tendency for people to lump all religions together and even to assert that they are the same,” he said.
“They are not the same. They have some things in common, not least a belief and trust in someone, some order of existence, beyond this world.
“They may be able to exist side by side. Indeed they must with mutual respect.
“In the world we live in it behoves us to be courteous about other religions, to respect their adherents and to want to understand their faith and practice.
“Particularly we must maintain such an attitude when faced with untypical extremism in other faiths, knowing it can also be found in our own.”
He said Christmas was a good time for people to find inspiration from faith, which could provide solace in the tough economic climate.
“It is a time of challenge in the life of our communities, of our nation and indeed of the whole human family.
“Economic stringency, growing poverty, increasing fragility for many all mean we need to find the God who loves the poor, identifies with the broken and lives – so to speak – on the margins.”
meanwhile, charity workers at the Vaughan Centre in Southgate Street, Gloucester, offered a turkey dinner with all the trimmings to homeless and disadvantaged members of the community.
And in Cheltenham, staff at the Open Door project in St Luke’s Hall put on a similarly sterling effort complete with bingo, games and crackers.
Dishon Nandi, 57, who has been homeless in Gloucester for the past 10 years, said the volunteers deserved huge praise for their efforts.
He added, “Christmas can be a really tough time for a lot of people who either don’t have a home, or live on their own.
“To be able to share it with other people makes it far more enjoyable.”
Also children who were away from home in hospital had their day brightened up by a visit from Santa! Youngsters’ eyes lit up as he appeared, complete with bright red cape and flowing white beard; The jolly visitor took time out of his exhaustive schedule to tip up with a trolley-load of presents for patients in the children’s ward.
