Deja Vu All Over Again: Religion, Politics, and Abortion ... in the United Kingdom

[My friend Gerry Whyte, a member (and former dean) of the law faculty at Trinity College, Dublin, rightly thought that many MOJ readers would be interested in this piece:]

The [London] Times
March 15, 2005

Cardinal tells Catholics to reject Labour over abortion
By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent and David Charter, Chief Political Correspondent

THE Roman Catholic Church made a dramatic entry into the election campaign yesterday by backing Michael Howard’s stance on abortion and withdrawing its traditional support for Labour.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor ensured that abortion would play a greater part in the coming election than any other by praising the Tory leader’s call for a cut in the legal abortion limit from 24 to 20 weeks.

The Archbishop of Westminster went on to admit that Labour was no longer the natural party of choice for the UK’s six million Catholics.
. . .

Yesterday’s statement indicates the determination of the Church to engage fully in pre-election politics.

Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor said: “Sometimes people say religion and politics do not mix and they should not mix. Religion is about the love of God and the love of our neighbour. It is clearly the second of those where religion and politics do mix.”

[To read the whole piece, click here.]