:00:05. > :00:08.The most outspoken attack yet on gay marriage, from the leader of
:00:08. > :00:12.the Catholic church in England and Wales. Vincent Nichols calls the
:00:12. > :00:17.proposals "a shambles", and says the Government has no mandate for
:00:18. > :00:27.them. The Queen overcomes a cold, to
:00:27. > :00:37.attend the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham.
:00:37. > :00:49.
:00:49. > :00:52.And the actor Jack Klugman, famous The leader of the Roman Catholic
:00:52. > :00:55.Church in England and Wales has used his Christmas message to make
:00:55. > :00:57.his most outspoken attack yet on the Government's proposals to
:00:57. > :01:00.introduce gay marriage. The Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent
:01:00. > :01:10.Nichols, said the process had been undemocratic and shambolic. Our
:01:10. > :01:18.
:01:18. > :01:24.religious affairs correspondent Robert Piggott reports.
:01:24. > :01:31.With carols, candles and Holy Communion. Roman Catholics at
:01:31. > :01:34.Westminster Cathedral heralded the coming of Christmas. The Church's
:01:34. > :01:37.leader in England and Wales, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, told
:01:37. > :01:41.them Christmas was a reminder human lives could be raised to an
:01:41. > :01:44.entirely new realm. But, he claimed, this Christmas, the Christian ideal
:01:44. > :01:49.of marriage was under threat. He accused the Government of behaving
:01:49. > :01:54.in an Orwellian fashion. Using undemocratic means to create a new
:01:54. > :01:59.sham version of marriage. Frankly, the process is shambolic. There was
:01:59. > :02:04.no announcement in any party manifesto. No green paper. No
:02:04. > :02:07.statement in the Queen's Speech. Here we are, on the verge of
:02:07. > :02:12.primary legislation. From a democratic point of view, it is a
:02:12. > :02:16.shambles. His strongest attack on the
:02:16. > :02:25.Government's plans for gay marriage. Real anger in his passionate
:02:25. > :02:31.criticism of the Government's plans. And a call to Catholics to join in
:02:31. > :02:34.a political struggle against them. In his final sermon as Archbishop
:02:34. > :02:41.of Canterbury, Rowan Williams will acknowledge the Church of England
:02:41. > :02:44.lost credibility by voting not to create women bishops. He said
:02:44. > :02:49.secularists were delighted by a decline in the number of people
:02:49. > :02:52.identifying themselves as Christians. But he claimed, despite
:02:52. > :03:02.Christianity making difficult demands, six in 10 people still
:03:02. > :03:08.
:03:08. > :03:14.Diffin Rome, Pope Benedict wished a crowd of thousands a happy
:03:14. > :03:20.Christmas in 65 languages. He called for an end to the bloodshed
:03:20. > :03:25.in Syria, conflict he said on innocent victims. A message to
:03:25. > :03:34.China which disputes the Vatican's right to ordain priests, he asked
:03:34. > :03:37.for the new leaders to a steam and the religion among their people. --
:03:37. > :03:40.esteem. The Queen is celebrating Christmas at Sandringham.
:03:40. > :03:43.This morning, she attended a church service, along with Prince Philip
:03:43. > :03:46.and other members of the Royal Family. But this year's festivities
:03:46. > :03:49.will be quieter than usual, because Prince William is spending the day
:03:49. > :03:56.with his wife's family in Berkshire. Our royal correspondent, Luisa
:03:56. > :04:01.Baldini, is here. Despite having a heavy cold, the Queen is there.
:04:01. > :04:07.had missed the church service on Sunday, she had been suffering from
:04:07. > :04:11.the tail-end of a cold. She is up and about today. And she appears
:04:11. > :04:16.quite cheerful. Christmas Day is a special time for the Royal Family
:04:16. > :04:22.every year, particularly significant this year, coming at
:04:22. > :04:26.the end of her Diamond Jubilee. And because Prince Philip is at her
:04:26. > :04:32.side this Christmas. This time last year, he was in hospital after
:04:32. > :04:37.being treated for a blocked coronary artery. He has been in
:04:37. > :04:44.hospital twice this year. Unusually, the Duke of Cambridge will not be
:04:44. > :04:48.at Sandringham, he and the Duchess of Cambridge will spend the day
:04:48. > :04:53.with the Middleton family in Berkshire. They have had the
:04:53. > :04:58.Queen's blessing to be absent. The Duchess of Cambridge has been
:04:58. > :05:03.suffering severe morning sickness. They will visit Sandringham over
:05:03. > :05:13.the Christmas period. Prince Harry will be absent, serving in
:05:13. > :05:13.
:05:13. > :05:15.Afghanistan. Every soldier serving in
:05:15. > :05:18.Afghanistan will receive a traditional Christmas meal today,
:05:18. > :05:22.after a huge logistical effort. Around 9,000 troops are deployed in
:05:22. > :05:24.the country, and officers say they're determined to make the most
:05:24. > :05:30.of the season. Our defence correspondent Jonathan Beale has
:05:30. > :05:33.more. In Afghanistan, Santa makes his
:05:33. > :05:38.deliveries by military helicopter. Loaded with mail and presents for
:05:38. > :05:41.loved ones on the frontline, in remote bases across Helmand. As
:05:41. > :05:44.well as getting on with their everyday tasks, there has been time
:05:44. > :05:52.to make austere camps feel like home. Making decorations, to get
:05:52. > :05:57.into the Christmas spirit. Although it is not the same. I am a home
:05:57. > :06:00.bird. I like being at home with my mum and family. What will you miss
:06:00. > :06:10.most about Christmas here? Probably sat on my sofa, eating, opening my
:06:10. > :06:19.
:06:19. > :06:27.presents. Do do does parcels have reached the front line. A boost to
:06:27. > :06:35.morale. As is the traditional Christmas dinner. Here, accompanied
:06:35. > :06:39.by a choir. Here, comrades have become their immediate family.
:06:39. > :06:44.Outside, the reason why they are still here, to bring some semblance
:06:44. > :06:50.of stability to Afghanistan. That threat has not gone away, 46
:06:50. > :06:55.British troops have lost their lives this year. We are always very
:06:55. > :07:01.aware of the costs along the way, friends we have lost. Behind the
:07:01. > :07:05.smiles, there is remembrance, a twinge of sadness that for a lot of
:07:05. > :07:10.people Christmas will not be good this year. It might be Christmas
:07:10. > :07:14.but for many British troops, it is like any other day. This patrol
:07:14. > :07:24.going off to train the Afghan police. It will soon be left to
:07:24. > :07:34.
:07:34. > :07:44.them, and within are too macro 150 flood warnings remain in place
:07:44. > :07:45.
:07:45. > :07:48.over Britain. More heavy rain is forecast.
:07:48. > :07:53.The veteran American actor Jack Klugman has died in Los Angeles, at
:07:53. > :07:56.the age of 90. He rose to fame in the 1970s sitcom The Odd Couple,
:07:56. > :08:06.and later played the lead role of Quincy. The tough crime-busting
:08:06. > :08:09.pathologist. Tim Allman looks back at his life. For a generation of
:08:09. > :08:12.viewers, he was one of the most recognisable faces on television.
:08:12. > :08:22.As Oscar Madison, the slovenly, gruff sports writer. You can lose
:08:22. > :08:26.little black books. I never thought I could lose a war. One half of The
:08:26. > :08:29.Odd Couple. Then as Quincy. Gentlemen, you are about to enter
:08:29. > :08:39.the most fascinating sphere of police work. A crusading coroner
:08:39. > :08:42.with a knack for solving murders. Let me give you a lesson, in
:08:42. > :08:45.anatomy. The thigh bone is connected to the knee bone. The
:08:45. > :08:48.knee bone is connected to the shin bone. Stop it, Quincy. Born in
:08:48. > :08:52.Philadelphia, the son of Russian immigrants, he studied acting at
:08:52. > :08:55.college, after serving in the Second World War. He first made his
:08:55. > :08:59.name on stage, before working in television and film. He starred
:08:59. > :09:06.opposite Jack Lemmon in the Days of Wine and Roses, part of an all-star
:09:06. > :09:10.cast in Twelve Angry Men. Please, I've played in backyards filled