Catholics urged to oppose Government
-15/3/04
The leader of the Catholic church in Scotland is calling on churchgoers to campaign against a raft of
Catholics urged to oppose Government
-15/3/04
The leader of the Catholic church in Scotland is calling on churchgoers to campaign against a raft of controversial government proposals reports the Scotsman.
Cardinal Keith OíBrien is touring churches in Edinburgh and Fife urging parishioners to take action against the Scottish Executiveís proposals on school sex education and the immigration plans of the UK government.
The church is also calling on parents to defend the status of Catholic schools.
In a series of Lenten sermons, OíBrien will ask Catholics to “be prepared for increased action as Christians” by writing to MSPs and MPs on these issues.
In Glasgow, Archbishop Mario Conti will call for similar action against the Executiveís draft Sexual Health strategy.
Peter Kearney, spokesman for the Catholic church in Scotland, said the rallying call was because issues had “come up”, rather than a conscious effort to make the church more political.
“This is a challenge to action. The Cardinal and his fellow bishops can make all the statements they like but if Catholic parents donít act then there is no back-up to what they say.
We are asking them to be more political and ask questions of their elected representatives.”
The sex education plan, entitled Enhancing Sexual Wellbeing in Scotland, includes proposals to allow school nurses to give children advice about contraception and abortion without their parents consent.
Archbishop Conti said it was a threat to parentsí rights and did not emphasise the importance of relationships and marriage.
The church also opposes the Asylum and Immigration Bill, which removes asylum applicantsí right of appeal if they lose their case to stay in the country. The Cardinal has written to Scotlandís 72 MPs asking them to reject the bill.
Catholics urged to oppose Government
-15/3/04
The leader of the Catholic church in Scotland is calling on churchgoers to campaign against a raft of controversial government proposals reports the Scotsman.
Cardinal Keith OíBrien is touring churches in Edinburgh and Fife urging parishioners to take action against the Scottish Executiveís proposals on school sex education and the immigration plans of the UK government.
The church is also calling on parents to defend the status of Catholic schools.
In a series of Lenten sermons, OíBrien will ask Catholics to “be prepared for increased action as Christians” by writing to MSPs and MPs on these issues.
In Glasgow, Archbishop Mario Conti will call for similar action against the Executiveís draft Sexual Health strategy.
Peter Kearney, spokesman for the Catholic church in Scotland, said the rallying call was because issues had “come up”, rather than a conscious effort to make the church more political.
“This is a challenge to action. The Cardinal and his fellow bishops can make all the statements they like but if Catholic parents donít act then there is no back-up to what they say.
We are asking them to be more political and ask questions of their elected representatives.”
The sex education plan, entitled Enhancing Sexual Wellbeing in Scotland, includes proposals to allow school nurses to give children advice about contraception and abortion without their parents consent.
Archbishop Conti said it was a threat to parentsí rights and did not emphasise the importance of relationships and marriage.
The church also opposes the Asylum and Immigration Bill, which removes asylum applicantsí right of appeal if they lose their case to stay in the country. The Cardinal has written to Scotlandís 72 MPs asking them to reject the bill.