Christmas hard for the lonely, says Archbishop

The Archbishop of Wales has said he hopes no one will feel forgotten this Christmas.

In his annual festive message Archbishop Andrew John noted that for "too many people" this time of year can be one of loneliness or grief.

But he added that it can "also bring hope" and urged people to "discover signs that can bring light, love and joy".

The Archbishop said he wishes "all may find comfort, peace and the promise of brighter days to come".

Christmas is "made all the harder by the level of festive cheer," he added.

"We're surrounded by party tinsel, gifts galore, more food than anyone could think of eating and the chorus of those Christmas hits from yesteryear that remind us we really should be having fun.

"Grief and loneliness have no blueprint, no easy solutions, there are no shortcuts.

"However, we are not without hope because Christmas can surprise us with moments of connection - a kind word from a stranger, a phone call with an old friend or the joy of reaching out to someone who needs to know they're remembered," said the Archbishop.

"My prayer is that no one will feel forgotten this Christmas and that all may find comfort, peace, and the promise of brighter days to come."

In a recent interview with BBC Wales, Andrew John also said that the Church is "not doing enough" to protect people from abuse.

He said that although he was pleased with the work being done to make churches safer, he added that it "could be doing even more".

It comes after a challenging few weeks for the Church of England following a damning report into how it covered up prolific abuse by the barrister John Smyth.

The report led to the resignation of the Anglican church's most senior figure, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, as well as calls for the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell to resign over his handling of a sexual abuse case.