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SEPTEMBER 16 2011 THE CATHOLIC HERALD

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Bishops: marriage cannot be redefined

BY DAVID V BARRETT

SEVERAL Scottish bishops have united to condemn government proposals to allow gay marriages to take place in churches.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, said that legalising same-sex marriage would “shame Scotland in the eyes of the world”. In a column in the Mail on Sunday he called the same-sex marriage proposal “madness” and a “grotesque subversion of a universal human right”.

The Scottish government is holding a 14-week consultation process to gather views on whether same-sex marriages with civil or religious ceremonies should be made legal in Scotland.

It proposes to change the law in order to allow samesex marriages to be conducted in places of worship, though the law would ensure that religious organisations did not have to register same-sex marriages against their will.

Cardinal O’Brien called this “disingenuous” and said it showed “staggering arrogance”.

“Since all the legal rights of marriage are already available to homosexual couples through civil partnership and since the number of civil partnerships entered into has been falling steadily for the last three years, it is clear that this proposal is not about rights, but is an attempt to redefine marriage for the whole of society at the behest of a small minority of activists,” the cardinal said.

“We should be clear that redefining marriage will have huge implications for what is taught in our schools and for wider society. But can we simply redefine terms at a whim? Can a word whose meaning has been clearly understood in every society throughout history suddenly be changed to mean something else?”

Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow also condemned the redefining of the word “marriage”.

He said: “We would use a word which carries huge significance, and render it meaningless in respect of one of its essential attributes, its capacity to create a natural family – I mean, of course, marriage.

“It hints also at a hubristic mentality on the part of those in power, who imagine that today they can call something what it was not yesterday, and tomorrow tell us

Cardinal Keith O’Brien with Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond that black is white, and despite weasel words to the contrary, will require us to accept it or possibly fall foul of the law. Please spare us such nonsense. The term ‘civil partnership’ describes what such unions are. ‘Marriage’ does not – it describes a different reality,” he said.

In his submission to the consultation Bishop Philip Tartaglia of Paisley said: “Marriage has always existed in order to bring men and women together so that the children born of those unions will have a mother and a father.

“For that reason, same-sex unions cannot fulfil the nature and purpose of marriage.”

Government has a duty to recognise and protect marriage, he said. “But governments do not have the authority to say what marriage is or to change its nature or to decree that people of the same sex can marry.”

He continued: “A government which favours and allows for same-sex marriage does wrong. It fails in its duty to society. It undermines the common good. It commits an act of cultural vandalism. Such a government does not deserve the trust which the nation, and including many in the Catholic community, has shown in it.”

Bishop Tartaglia said he had previously written to David Cameron: “Government should know with absolute certainty that the Catholic Church will never register civil partnerships nor celebrate same-sex marriage, ‘not now, not in the future, not ever’.”

Government should not be persuaded by those who say that any opposition to samesex marriage comes from homophobic bigotry, he said. “This is not only false, but is

David Cheskin/PA wire itself an illiberal and undemocratic intolerance which only seeks to close down rational argument and to intimidate people into acquiescence.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “I can’t see how it is ‘cultural vandalism’ to bring greater equality into Scottish society.

“Under the changes the Catholic Church, nor anyone else, will not be forced to conduct a same sex marriage ceremony but if they wish to the law will no longer stop them. That’s a very tolerant and fair approach to this issue.”

Archbishop: judges are biased against Christians

BY SIMON CALDWELL

ARCHBISHOP Peter Smith of Southwark has said the British courts are wrongfully penalising Christians through an “incorrect interpretation” of human rights laws.

The archbishop said judges were guilty of “woolly thinking” and a bias against Christians who either wore religious jewellery or who had taken a moral stand against acts they held in conscience to be sinful.

He said certain court decisions had not upheld Articles 9 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Britain’s Human Rights Act of 1998 is based on that convention.

His comments were directed primarily at courts which, he said, wrongly upheld the legitimacy of disciplinary measures taken against four Christians who have since decided to challenge the workings of the law at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on the grounds that British judges were failing to protect their rights.

Archbishop Smith, chairman of the bishops’ Department for Citizenship and Christian Responsibility, said: “The courts are misinterpreting the law.”

His remarks came a day after the bishops responded to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, a government-funded body that had sought the bishops’ views on the four cases.

The request followed permission by the European

Court for the commission to intervene in the cases of Nadia Eweida, Shirley Chaplin, Lillian Ladele and Gary McFarlane in an attempt to clarify how the law ought to have been applied.

Mrs Eweida, a check-in clerk for British Airways, was suspended after refusing to remove a small crucifix over her uniform. Mrs Chaplin, a nurse, was stopped from working on hospital wards and given a desk job after she refused to hide her cross.

Miss Ladele lost her job as a registrar in London after she refused to officiate at civil partnership ceremonies for gay couples. Mr McFarlane, a relationship counsellor, was sacked when he refused to give therapy to gay couples.

The commission wants to convince the European court that the law was wrongly applied in the cases of Mrs Eweida and Mrs Chaplin but correctly applied in the cases of Miss Ladele and Mr McFarlane.

Archbishop Smith said that although Sikhs and Muslims had successfully used the law to uphold a right to manifest their beliefs in such areas as religious attire and jewellery, Christians were denied the same right because the courts had decided that it was not essential to the practice of their faith.

“Why can’t Christians wear the symbol of the Cross?” he asked. “It is absolutely part of the Gospel. Without the Cross there is no salvation. It is at the heart of our faith because it is the symbol and sign of God’s unconditional love.”

THE BIRMINGHAM ORATORY SHRINE OF BLESSED JOHN HENRY NEWMAN

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SOLEMN MASS Sundays at 10.30am VESPERS & BENEDICTION Sundays at 6.30pm

FORTHCOMING EVENTS SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER LAUNCH OF THE BLESSED JOHN HENRY NEWMAN INSTITUTE OF LITURGICAL MUSIC 9.30am Registration and inaugural address by Fr Guy Nicholls, Director of the Institute 11am Sung Pilgrim Mass. Celebrant & Preacher: Rt Rev. Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham For further information: please phone 0121 454 0808 or visit www.oratorymusic.org.uk FEAST OF BLESSED JOHN HENRY NEWMAN TRANSFERRED TO SATURDAY, 8TH OCTOBER

First Vespers – Friday, 7th October Solemn High Mass – Saturday, 8th October With the Solemn Procession and Installation of the New Reliquary. Celebrant & Preacher: Rt Rev. Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury

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Pope welcomes new ambassador

ADDRESS TO UK AMBASSADOR BY POPE BENEDICT XVI

YOUR EXCELLENCY, I am pleased to welcome you and to accept the letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Holy See...

The Holy See and the United Kingdom have enjoyed excellent relations in the 30 years that have passed since full diplomatic relations were established. The close bond between us was further strengthened last year during my visit to your country, a unique occasion in the course of the shared history of the Holy See and the countries which today compose the United Kingdom. I would therefore like to begin my remarks by reiterating my gratitude to the British people for the warm welcome which I received during my stay. Her Majesty and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh received me most graciously and I was pleased to meet the leaders of the three main political parties and to discuss with them matters of common concern. As you know, a particular motive for my visit was the beatification of John Henry Cardinal Newman, a great Englishman whom I have admired for many years and whose raising to the altars was a personal wish fulfilled. I remain convinced of the relevance of Newman’s insights regarding society, as the United Kingdom, Europe and the West in general today face challenges that he identified with remarkable prophetic clarity. It is my hope that a fresh awareness of his writings will bear new fruit among those searching for solutions to the political, economic and social questions of our age.

As you rightly remarked in your address, Mr Ambassador, the Holy See and the United Kingdom continue to share a common concern for peace among nations, the integral development of peoples throughout the world, especially the poorest and weakest, and the spread of authentic human rights, especially through the rule of law and fair participative government, with a special care for the needy and those whose natural rights are denied. On the subject of peace, I was very pleased to note the success of Her Majesty’s recent visit to the Republic of Ireland, an important milestone in the process of reconciliation that is happily becoming ever more firmly established in Northern Ireland, despite the unrest that occurred there during this past summer. I take this opportunity once again to encourage all who would resort to violence to put aside their grievances, and to seek instead a dialogue with their neighbours for the peace and prosperity of the whole community.

As you pointed out in your speech, your Government wishes to employ policies that are based on enduring values that cannot be simply expressed in legal terms. This is especially important in the light of events in England this summer. When policies do not presume or promote objective values, the resulting moral relativism, instead of leading to a society that is free, fair, just and compassionate, tends instead to produce frustration, despair, selfishness and a disregard for the life and liberty of others. Policymakers are therefore right to look urgently for ways to uphold excellence in education, to promote social opportunity and economic mobility, to examine ways to favour long-term employment and to spread wealth much more fairly and broadly throughout society. Moreover, the active fostering of the essential values of a healthy society, through the defence of life and of the family, the sound moral education of the young, and a fraternal regard for the poor and the weak, will surely help to rebuild a positive sense of one’s duty, in charity, towards friends and strangers alike in the local community. Be assured that the Catholic Church in your country is eager to continue offering her substantial contribution to the common good through her offices and agencies, in accordance with her own principles and in the light of the Christian vision of the rights and dignity of the human person.

Looking further afield, Your Excellency has mentioned several areas where the Holy See and the United Kingdom have already agreed and worked together, including initiatives for debt relief and financing for development. The sustainable development of the world’s poorer peoples through well-targeted assistance remains a worthy goal, since the peoples of developing countries are our brothers and sisters, of equal dignity and worth and deserving of our respect in every way, and such assistance should always aim to improve their lives and their economic prospects. As you know, development is also of benefit to donor countries, not only through the creation of economic markets, but also through the fostering of mutual respect, solidarity, and above all peace through prosperity for all the world’s peoples. Promoting models of development which employ modern knowledge to husband natural resources will also have the benefit of better protecting the environment for emerging and developed countries alike. This is why I remarked in Westminster Hall last year that integral human development, and all that it entails, is an enterprise truly worthy of the world’s attention and one that is too big to be allowed to fail. The Holy See therefore welcomes Prime Minister Cameron’s recent announcement of his intention to ring-fence Great Britain’s aid budget. I would also invite you, during your mandate, to explore ways of furthering development cooperation between your Government and the Church’s charity and development agencies, especially those based here in Rome and in your country.

Finally, Mr Ambassador, in offering you my prayerful good wishes for the success of your mission, allow me to assure you that all the departments of the Roman Curia stand ready to support you in your duties. Upon you, your family and all the British people, I cordially invoke God’s abundant blessings.

NEWSBULLETIN Cardinal Burke to speak to students in Manchester THE HEAD of the Apostolic Signatura is to give the de Lubac Memorial Lecture in Manchester on October 11 on the theme “Christ Jesus our Light – Heart of the New Evangelisation”.

Manchester Universities’ Catholic Chaplaincy to speak at short notice.

Fr Ian Kelly, head of the chaiplaincy, has stressed that the talk will avoid Church politics.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, who in July withdrew from delivering a lecture to the orthodox lobby group Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, accepted an invitation from the

“Inviting Cardinal Burke to a de Lubac lecture demonstrates the eclectic nature of the talks,” he said. De Lubac was a leading French Jesuit theologian.

Bishops prepare equality advice THE BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE of England and Wales has launched a consultation among Catholics to inform its response to the Equality Act.

In a letter sent on Friday, Auxiliary Bishop John Arnold of Westminster, chairman of the Equality Act Working Group, invited Catholics to contribute towards guidance the bishops’ conference is drawing up.

The guidance will be drafted on the basis of legal advice to provide community leaders with a summary of changes that may affect them. Bishop Arnold’s letter notes potential ramifications of the act, such as consequences for parishes which wish to restrict the commercial letting of their halls.

The Equality Act 2010 was passed shortly before the last election and consolidates the body of anti-discrimination law in Britain. Catholics who wish to participate in the consultation can download a form on the bishops’ conference website, Catholic-ew.org.uk.

New bishop for Westminster FR JOHN Sherrington was to be ordained as Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, covering Hertfordshire, on Wednesday at Westminster Cathedral.

Fr Sherrington has acted as parish priest at the Good Shepherd church in Nottingham, among other duties over the past few years. As a bishop he will be based at St Bonaventure’s in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.

Cameron sits on the fence DAVID CAMERON has said he is “keeping an open mind” about whether to include religious eduction in the new English Baccalaureate, designed to combat the “dumbing down” of GCSEs. A campaign to include RE in the new English baccalaureate has won the support of 110,000 people, including faith leaders and 100 MPs, but no decision has yet been made by the Government.

Ann Widdecombe to give talk FORMER Conservative Minister Ann Widdecombe will speak at Aid to the Church in Need’s Westminster event on October 22, it was announced this week. She is the charity’s special envoy on religious freedom.

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Diocese seeks to end bitter row with parents at top school

BY MADELEINE TEAHAN

governors, which will re-introduce the representation of parents on the governing board who have children at the school.

point if no solution is found to the row before the appointment of a new headteacher next month,” they said in a statement.

long-standing policy prioritised the admission of practising Catholics, requiring that the pupil and at least one parent were baptised Catholic and attended Mass weekly.

amend the law to ensure that foundation governors for schools such as the Vaughan must include parents of children who are at the school.

In a subsequent move the diocese appointed Paul Barber and three other new foundation governors to the school’s governing body in September last year. The new appointments meant that not one foundation governor was parent to a child at the school. This absence of parent representation prompted legal action from the VPAG.

“The diocese disapproves of the Vaughan’s tried-and-tested admissions criteria. These are based fairly on a family’s commitment to the Catholic Church. The Vaughan was founded to provide high-quality education for the children of devout, practising Catholics, and its admissions policy has shaped the school’s character over its long history.”

THE Diocese of Westminster has appointed two new parent governors and accepted the resignation of a diocesan official from the board of governors of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in West London.

“The appointment of a headteacher must be the result of a genuine consensus on the governing body, meaning that it must be supported by governors who are not appointed by the diocese as well as the ones who are.”

In a statement last Friday Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster said: “I hope that all will now support the school’s governing body as it moves forward to find the right person to lead the school into the future. In particular, I hope that in the appointment of a new head the process for selection and its outcome will be a result of a broad consensus of the governing body.”

In December 2009 the Diocese of Westminster complained to the schools adjudicator, Alan Parker, claiming that the Vaughan’s admissions policy “inappropriately [gave] priority according to the applicant’s, or his parent’s, involvement in Church-related activities”.

A briefing document on the VPAG’s website states: “Many people think that the diocese wants to change the way the school operates. They think the diocese wants to make the Vaughan more like some other schools by diluting its Catholic ethos and undermining the high standards it has always upheld. Supporters of the Vaughan want to ensure the school can continue to offer top-quality Catholic education to children from all over London.

Paul Barber, who also serves as Westminster diocese’s director of education, has resigned as governor of the school. The Vaughan Parents’ Action Group (VPAG) opposed Mr Barber’s appointment in September 2010 because it argued that his work for Westminster diocese posed a conflict of interest.

Given that the school’s governing body influences admission policy and the appointment of teachers, it has become a crucial battleground for parents and the diocese, so much so that the VPAG successfully appealed to the Government for help. It is expected that Lord Hill, the Education Minister, will

Philip Coppel and Andre Ndoca are to be appointed as foundation

The row between parents and the Diocese of Westminster stems from a dispute regarding the Vaughan’s admissions policy. The

Mr Parker ruled in favour of the diocese and ordered the Vaughan to change its admissions policy in favour of “promoting equity”, with less emphasis on a family’s Catholicity.

The appointment of a new headteacher is expected on October 12, making the need for consensus on the governing board all the more pressing.

Members of the the VPAG said the latest announcement, while significant, did not go far enough.

“We will have reached crisis

The diocese will request that Mr Barber remains an associate member of the governing body to which parent governors are opposed .

The VPAG said: “We do not welcome any permanent role, full or associate... for Mr Barber.”

Dorries: now is our chance to lower limit on abortion

BY MADELEINE TEAHAN

A CONSERVATIVE MP who failed in her attempt to amend the law on abortion counselling has promised to fight back with a new campaign to lower the legal limit for abortion from 24 to 20 weeks.

On Tuesday a spokesman for David Cameron told The Catholic Herald that the prime minister could not back such a move, despite his support in principle until he had seen the proposed amendments. He said: “Abortion is an issue of conscience, subject to a free vote in parliament. The PM has expressed his personal views on this matter previously. The Prime Minister cannot say how he will vote until he has seen the proposed amendments.”

The latest failed amendment, authored by Conservative MP Nadine Dorries, sought to offer independent counselling to women contemplating an abortion but was thrown out by Parliament last week with a majority of 250 MPs voting against.

But Miss Dorries has insisted she will press ahead with amendments to Britain’s abortion law. She said: “This Parliament, with the Prime Minister in support of the proposal to lower the abortion limit, gives us a fantastic opportunity to make the case for a lower limit, build the votes and make the first serious change since the Abortion Act was passed in 1967.”

But Miss Dorries has come under severe criticism from some pro-life advocates who claim that she failed to consult campaigners and politicians about her amendment on counselling. Phyllis Bowman of Right to Life said she was “horrified” at the thought of Miss Dorries having any more involvement in prolife campaigns. She said: “The amendment failed because her campaign was hopelessly organised. There was no coordination with MPs or groups... The result was that MPs received virtually no mail – and letters and telephone calls from constituents are by far the most important aspects of any lobby.”

She said Miss Dorries’s amendment had done the most damage to the pro-life cause in 40 years.

Josephine Quintavalle of the Pro Life Alliance described Miss Dorries’s alleged lack of consultation as a “tactical mistake”.

Meanwhile Lord Alton of Liverpool, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Pro Life Group, has called for a “radical reshaping” of Britain’s pro-life movement, urging the bishops’ conference to commission a report on how best to achieve this. He said: “If Nadine Dorries wants to build a majority for changes to abortion laws she will need to go about it very differently.”

Miss Dorries defended her strategy, stating that a “pro-life barrister” wrote the amendment. She said: “By current reckoning four per cent of the population are pro-life, 12 per cent are pro-choice and the rest are somewhere in between. For this reason, I consider that the ‘branding’ of pro-life is to be avoided if I am to achieve change to legislation.”

Enda Kenny accused the Vatican of trying to ‘frustrate an inquiry as recently as 2008’ PA

Irish government stands by attack on the Holy See

BY SARAH MACDONALD

THE IRISH government has stood by comments made by Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, who claimed that the Vatican had attempted to “frustrate an inquiry in a sovereign, democratic republic as little as three years ago”.

In a statement issued last week the government also welcomed the Vatican’s expression of regret over the suffering of abuse victims.

The government struck a less conciliatory note in its defence of Mr Kenny, saying his comments in July “accurately reflect the public anger of the overwhelming majority of Irish people at the failure of the Catholic Church and the Holy See to deal adequately with clerical child sexual abuse and those who committed such an appalling act”.

The government also reiterated that a 1997 letter to Irish bishops from Archbishop Luciano Storero, the apostolic nuncio at the time, “provided a pretext for some members of the clergy to evade full cooperation with the Irish civil authorities in regard to the abuse of minors”.

After the Vatican released its response, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin called on the government to explain its claim that the Holy See had attempted to “frustrate an inquiry” as recently as 2008. Describing it as a “very specific allegation”, the archbishop said: “I would like to know what he [Enda Kenny] is referring to.”

The government’s statement did not provide a specific answer to that question.

But Alan Shatter, Ireland’s minister for justice, equality and defence, said on RTÉ Radio that the comments referred to the Vatican’s efforts to frustrate the investigative work of the Murphy Commission looking into sex abuse by clergy. He said Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, papal nuncio, failed to furnish information requested by commission members as recently as 2008.

“Very substantial assistance could have been provided by the Vatican,” he said.

A few days after Mr Kenny’s comment the Vatican took the unusual move of recalling Archbishop Leanza, saying it signalled how seriously the Vatican took the government criticisms.

The Vatican rejected Mr Kenny’s accusations earlier this month, saying that it had never sought to interfere with Irish civil law or impede civil authorities in their work.

The Vatican also said Mr Kenny’s accusation was unfounded and that he “made no attempt to substantiate” his claim.

Responding to the Irish government’s statement, a spokesman for the Irish bishops’ conference said: “In light of the government’s statement, the Catholic Church restates its commitment to best practice in safeguarding children and to working with state authorities in achieving this. The focus should now be on the future.”

Vaughan Parents’ Action Group Web: www.savethevaughan.com Email: Vaughan.parents.action.group@gmail.com

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THE CARDINAL VAUGHAN MEMORIAL SCHOOL

“The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School is an outstanding Catholic school which combines excellent religious formation with excellent academic performance. It enjoys exemplary strategic leadership that ensures that Catholic life and practice are at the heart of the life of the school so that its mission statement is fulfilled. A calm, purposeful atmosphere characterises the school which is a manifestly Catholic educational community with the Eucharist at its heart. Prayer in many forms is a feature of the daily life of the school and all its members. All staff share a concern for the development of the God-given potential of each pupil. High academic achievement and a commitment of service to others are characteristic of the whole school.” (Most recent Diocese of Westminster Inspection Report)

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Vaughan parents are praying for the appointment of a Head who will:

• champion the Church’s teaching about the rights and responsibilities of Catholic parents; • work to restore trust and mutual understanding between Diocese, Governors and Parents; • preserve the school’s unique character, high academic standards and unrivalled musical tradition; • provide essential leadership to staff and pupils , supporting all to achieve their potential; • understand, nurture and defend the vibrant and unambiguously Catholic ethos of this outstanding school.

Priest criticised by judge over death of Iraqi detainee

BY DAVID V BARRETT

A BIRMINGHAM priest has been severely criticised for failing to report the abuse of Baha Mousa, the Iraqi hotel receptionist who died in 2003 after brutal treatment in the custody of the British Army.

His body showed 93 separate injuries. He and nine other men were subjected to severe beatings and kickings and kept in squalid conditions.

A Government report by retired appeal court judge Sir William Gage was published last week following a twoyear inquiry. Sir William said the “serious, gratuitous violence” to Mr Mousa, a 26year-old father of two, left “a very great stain on the reputation of the Army”.

The 1,400-page report criticised the former commanding officer of 1st Battalion the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment (1QLR), Colonel Jorge Mendonça, saying he bore a “heavy responsibility” for the death of Mr Mousa, and names 19 British soldiers who carried out the assaults.

The detainees were forced to stand in stress positions with their legs apart and arms raised for hours on end and were kicked and punched if they relaxed. In their evidence they said fingers were pressed in their eye sockets, water was squeezed into their mouths, and they were kicked in the genitals. Toilets were flushed over their heads. They were also subjected to hooding and to sleep deprivation.

Fr Peter Madden, chaplain to the regiment, visited the detention centre on the day Mr Mousa died and saw the conditions under which the detainees were held, but said nothing, the report claimed.

Sir William said: “I found Madden to be a poor witness, particularly in relation to inconsistencies as to whether he felt any responsibility for the welfare of detainees.”

Fr Madden “must have seen the shocking condition of the detainees”, he said.

“He ought to have intervened immediately or reported it up the chain of command, but in fact it seems he did not have the courage to do either.”

After finishing at the Army Fr Madden served at St Mary’s church in Wednesbury, Birmingham. He later moved to St Mary Immaculate church in Warwick.

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Birmingham said Fr Madden “will no doubt want to spend time studying the report in context”.

He said the Church took the matter “very seriously” and that Archbishop Bernard Longley will be meeting Fr Madden and Bishop Richard Moth of the Forces.

“The archbishop will be totally transparent in this matter and will be taking it step by step,” the spokesman said.

EAST AFRICA CRISIS

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