On Tuesday Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, called on UK Catholics to respond ‘in prayer and in real practical action’ to the call to house the 20,000 refugees coming to Britain. This follows Pope Francis' call on Sunday to the Catholic Church: ‘May every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary in Europe host a family - starting with my diocese of Rome.’ The Vatican will house two Syrian families. Nichols said the Church will work to ‘ensure the effective reception and long-term resettlement of these desperate people.’ Nichols said that the Church would work with the government and other authorities in its response. Specific details about how the parishes will carry out the hosting programme will be released in the future.