London - Westminster Abbey has appointed a Roman Catholic as its new organist.
James O'Donnell, currently Master of the Music at Westminster Cathedral, is believed to be the first Catholic to hold the post of Organist and Master of the Choristers.
A spokeswoman for the abbey said there was no rule that the organist had to be a member of the Church of England. "Mr O'Donnell is a member of a Christian church and is at home with Anglican worship," she said.