Bells ring out for Pope

The retuned and rehung bells of Shrivenham rang out in a solemn half muffled quarter peal for the Pope’s funeral.

Bellringers had been planning to ring the first full peal on the new ring of ten bells for the Royal Wedding, but plans had to be hastily rearranged when the date of Pope John Paul II funeral was set for April 8.

Instead, the bells rang a solemn muffled peal in tribute to the Pope.

The next day, the day of the Royal Wedding, bellringers rang a joyful quarter peal for Prince Charles and his new wife. Ringers were joined by 13-year-old Rebecca Crabtree, who agreed at short notice to complete the band by ringing the treble, despite having never rung a quarter peal on ten bells before.

Director of Communication for the Diocese of Oxford, Richard Thomas, said it was probably the first time since the Reformation that Church of England Church Bells were rung to mark the funeral of a Roman Catholic Pope.