STORY:
Queen Asked To Pray Before Y2K Party

According to a story appearing in This Is London, there is a fierce debate over how Christianity is to be celebrated at the Millennium Dome. The debate is set to intensify with an invitation to the Queen and Tony Blair to worship at Greenwich parish church before attending the Dome's grand opening party on New Year's Eve.

The article says church leaders in Greenwich hope that dignitaries will find time to join them in worship at St Alfege's parish church - a "sanctuary of quiet amid the millennium maelstrom". They are invited to pause and pray at a thanksgiving service before attending the nearby Dome party, the centerpiece of Britain's millennium eve celebrations, which are to be televised worldwide.

But according to the This Is London story, it is likely that Tony Blair and his Cabinet colleagues will be too busy to attend and will go straight to the £758 million Dome to lead the nation in its festivities. The Queen's private secretary has written to say that her timetable for the evening has not yet been finalized.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, has said he will not commit himself to attending the Dome until he is satisfied that the religious significance of the date will be properly commemorated. He has said that he would like to lead the nation in prayer from the Dome as midnight approaches but the Dome's Government-appointed operators, the New Millennium Experience Company, have yet to say whether this will be possible.

Source: This Is London

DATE: 5/17/99

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