Director of the Catholic Union, Nigel Parker, writes:
One of my objectives since I became Director of the Catholic Union almost seven years ago has been to strengthen links between the Union and other Catholic organisations.
One fruit of that effort is that our Parliamentary and Public Affairs Committee now consists mostly of representatives of Catholic or like-minded organisations such as Aid to the Church in Need, CAFOD, SVP, Right to Life and others. We all benefit from sharing information about our concerns and campaigns.
Another striking fruit is the letter sent recently to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, calling on him to make tackling poverty the focus of the Spring Budget on 6 March. The letter was an initiative of the Catholic Union and was also signed by the relevant bishops of England and Wales, and Scotland, the Director of CAFOD, and the CEO of the Caritas Social Action Network.
This is the essence of what the Catholic Union is for, bringing lay Catholics of differing political views together, and amplifying our voices with those of the Bishops and other Catholic organisations to bring the moral principles of the Catholic faith and Catholic Social Teaching to the heart of Government.