Catholic Union Deputy Director, James Somerville-Meikle, writes:
People often ask how many Catholic MPs there are at Westminster. For a straightforward question, the answer is not that simple.
While around 60 or 70 MPs could claim to be Catholic in some way, the number of MPs prepared to talk about their faith and put those words into action consistently could probably be counted on both hands.
But as with many things in life, it is the quality and not the quantity that counts. We have been blessed with some excellent Catholic MPs over the years, including Sir Edward Leigh, who stood down as our President this week after almost 10 years of service.
It is also worth remembering that there are some very fine Catholic parliamentarians in the House of Lords. This includes our new President, Baroness Hollins.
The Catholic Union has always been fortunate in being able to count on the support of parliamentarians in both Houses of Parliament.
With a new session of Parliament underway and a General Election on the horizon, that support will be all the more in the year ahead as we face challenges new and old. Catholic lay men and women have always stood up when it matters. Let’s pray that continues.