Britain has become a ``pagan country'' in the last 50 years but its people still maintain their spiritual side and do not ``dismiss'' God, the Roman Catholic leader of England and Wales said in an interview published Monday.
Archbishop of Westminster Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was quoted as telling the Daily Telegraph that Britain ``has become, from a Christian point of view, very pagan. Children are not really taught religion in most schools.
``And yet, even though it is a pagan country, people don't dismiss religion, don't dismiss God, don't dismiss the spiritual side of their character,'' he was quoted as saying.
About 10 percent of people in England, Scotland and Wales claim to be Roman Catholic, according to the British Tourist Authority.
Murphy-O'Connor also discussed the pain he endured over claims he failed to appropriately handle allegations of child sex abuse made against priests serving under him when he was bishop of the diocese of Arundel and Brighton in southern England.
He denied ever covering up for pedophile priests and apologized again for his ``serious mistake'' in appointing the Rev. Michael Hill as chaplain at Gatwick Airport in 1985 even though he was advised that Hill posed a threat to children. Hill was jailed for the second time last year for child abuse.
The Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has established a national child protection unit to raise awareness of sex abuse, improve selection procedures and training standards for staff and volunteers, and investigate allegations of abuse.
Despite the pain caused by the sex abuse cases, Murphy-O'Connor said he never considered resigning.
``I am a religious leader and in a strange way the people of England and Wales need to hear religious leaders and I am determined that in any way that is open to me that they will listen to me,'' he told the Daily Telegraph.