Given by Fr Damian Howard SJ at the Autumn Gathering at Stonor Park on 16 October 2021. Our meeting has been overshadowed by the shocking murder of Sir David Amess yesterday in his constituency. I know that all of us will be praying earnestly for his wife and five children as well as for the […]
Category: News
Editorial: Sir David Amess RIP
Catholic Union Head of Public Affairs, James Somerville-Meikle, writes: There are moments in politics when the noise stops, and we are forced to pause and reflect. The death of Sir David Amess MP today was such a moment. His murder in Belfairs Methodist Church while conducting a constituency surgery meeting has shocked us all. Those […]
Prisons Week Update from Pact
The Prisons Advice and Care Trust (Pact) is the major Catholic charity supporting prisoners and their families. Cardinal Vincent Nichols is Pact’s president and Bishop Richard Moth also works closely with the charity in his role as Liaison Bishop for Prisons. Earlier this year, Pact commissioned a new report: Preventing Homelessness Amongst Former Prisoners in England and Wales. […]
Editorial: Faith in party conferences
Catholic Union Head of Public Affairs, James Somerville-Meikle, writes: While much of the Conservative party conference was taken up with debates about what levelling up actually means – with an ever-increasing range of metaphors being used – there was space to discuss other topics as well. I had the opportunity to ask Liz Truss a […]
Christian groups call on Chancellor to deliver for families
Three Christian organisations have called on the Chancellor to make the tax system fairer for families ahead of the Budget and Spending Review later this month. The Catholic Union of Great Britain; the Centre for Enterprise, Markets and Ethics; and the Benedict XVI Centre for Religion and Society, St Mary’s University, Twickenham have set […]
Editorial: Catholics do politics
Catholic Union Head of Public Affairs, James Somerville-Meikle, writes: The change of weather means autumn party conference season is upon us. Labour and the Liberal Democrats held their conferences last month, with Conservative conference starting this weekend. While the prevailing narrative is that people of faith are being pushed ever further to the margins of […]
Catholic Union calls on Gove to deliver for faith groups
The Catholic Union has warned that work on faith engagement risks being “side-lined” under a new department headed up by Michael Gove. As part of Boris Johnson’s recent reshuffle, Mr Gove was appointed Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities – the department previously known as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and […]
Editorial: Challenges to life are numerous and serious
Head of Public Affairs, James Somerville-Meikle, writes: It’s been a challenging week for those seeking to uphold the dignity of life. On Wednesday, the High Court rejected the legal case brought against the UK Government by Heidi Crowter and others who claimed that current abortion law is discriminatory by allowing abortion up to birth for Down’s Syndrome. […]
Editorial: What the reshuffle means for Catholics
Head of Public Affairs, James Somerville-Meikle, writes: Nothing gets the Westminster rumour mill going like a reshuffle. The shake up of Ministers was more extensive than expected, but it remains to be seen what impact the changes in personnel will have on policy. Dominic Raab’s move to the Ministry of Justice could lead to bolder […]
Editorial: 20 years on from 9/11
Catholic Union Head of Public Affairs, James Somerville-Meikle, writes: It was impossible to write this week without thinking back to the events of 11th September 2001 and the current events taking place in Afghanistan. One of the consequences of the fall of the Taliban in 2001 was the emergence of a modicum of freedom for […]
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