Scottish Catholic Observer

Preparations are underway for next week’s Scottish Catholic Observer sponsored Newman Association meeting about the role Catholics can play in politics.

The meeting, billed as: Do Catholics have faith in politics? A discussion on religion and social justice, will take place at St Simon’s Church in Patrick on Saturday April 9, ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary elections.

The panel of prominent figures from the world of politics and faith who will discuss the issue includes Lord McFall of Alcluith, the Labour Peer and chairman of the treasury select committee, John Dieghan, Parliamentary officer for the Bishops Conference of Scotland, Mary Cullen, chairwoman of the Network of International Development NGO’s of Scotland and David Kerr, broadcaster and former SNP candidate.

In good faith

The meeting will be chaired by Gerry Carruthers, national president of the Newman Association and newly appointed professor in the Department of Scottish Literature at Glasgow University.

Professor Carruthers said the meeting looks set to raise some fascinating issues.

“This is the kind of forum that is very necessary in a cultural climate where too many people wish to divorce religion and politics and where there are those who see either religion or politics in a completely negative light,” he said.

“A proper civic space demands that both these things are attended to respectfully and, if I may use the phrase, in good faith. Making space for dialogue between the sacred and the secular is at the centre of the Newman Association’s charism.’”

Speakers

John Deighan said he hoped the meeting would discuss the need for Catholic teachings to be more respected by society.

“The points which I would like to raise are about the need for Catholic social teaching to have more of an impact in society,” he said. “This means that we need to have Catholics more clearly aware of the Church’s teachings and capable of holding to these values in their professional, social and personal lives.”

He went on to say this was especially important in this day and age.

“As it is, however, we are seeing religious freedom gradually eroded; we are seeing the demise of objective human rights as ideological influences distort the basic understanding of the goods of human life; and we are seeing the spread of a destructive selfishness,” he said.

Mary Cullen said there were three issues she hoped to see discussed.

“I think it’s important Christians take politics seriously and be involved in their communities at all times but especially when there’s an election coming up,” she said. “How we use our vote is very important. I’m interested in how, as a small country, we can best contribute to other countries that have much less than us, in how we communicate and participate in political debate with others in the hope we do so in a respectful way and also in the Church social teaching which I think has a lot to offer and is not as well known as it should be.”

David Kerr said he hoped the legacy of last year’s Papal visit would help increase Catholic involvement in politics.

“The Pope reminded all of us last September that we have to be the saints of the 21st century in every aspect of civil life including politics,” he said. “Therefore any conference that explores how that’s been done in the past and how it can be done in the future will be tremendously exciting to participate in and attend.”

— The meeting will take place at St Simon’s Church, 33 Patrick Bridge Street, Glasgow G11 6PQ, on Saturday April 9, 10am-12.30am. Admission is be free. A collection will be taken.

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