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Bishops’ General Election Statement

The statement concentrates on the key issues – not parties or manifestos – offering a series of points that can be put to candidates prior to voting.

The Bishops highlight the duty of all citizens – not just Catholics – to help shape politics that are “rooted in the service of human rights and peace”.

The innate human dignity of all – particularly the vulnerable and those on the margins – lies at the heart of the statement as the Bishops encourage everyone to “engage with the election and vote.”

In making judgments about how to vote, the Bishops ask that the following are carefully considered and, indeed candidates can be asked how they will uphold:

  • The innate dignity of every human being; defending both the child in the womb, the good of the mother and an understanding of the immeasurable good of a child not yet born?
  • The dignified care for those who are terminally ill and dying while resisting the false compassion of assisted suicide or euthanasia?
  • The needs of those who are frequently neglected or discarded by society such as people with disabilities, Travellers, older people, those who are homeless, those in prison and those trapped in modern slavery?
  • The process of integration of migrants and refugees who have made their homes here[1], challenging the global rise of xenophobia and racism that is so radically incompatible with our faith[2]?
  • The rights of those in our own communities and overseas who “can see no end to the tunnel of extreme poverty,”[3] providing them with assistance and confronting the structural injustices that compound their suffering?
  • Care for our common home and tackle the climate emergency which threatens the future of our entire human family and is already having a profound impact upon the world’s poorest people[4]?
  • Freedom of religion and belief, ensuring that everyone has the right to exercise their conscience and practise their creed freely without fear? 
  • The cherishing of marriage, recognising the essential place of the family in the service of life and of society?
  • The right of parents to educate their children in accordance with their faith and support the work of Catholic schools in their contribution to society and their promotion of the common good?

[1] Pope Francis: Message for the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (14/1/18)

[2] World Council of Churches and Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development: Message from the conference on Xenophobia, Racism and Populist Nationalism in the Context of Global Migration (20/9/18)

[3] Pope Francis: Message for the 3rd World Day of the Poor (17/11/19)

[4] Pope Francis: Address to meeting on the energy transition and care of our common home (14/6/19)

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London Prays: A Spiritual Response to the Abuse Crisis

The National Catholic Register reports from Westminster Cathedral’s Day of Prayer with Bishop Keenan and Fr Dominic Allain.

Fr Dominic said that Eucharistic Reparation, Eucharistic Adoration and a whole new reverence towards the mystery of the Lord are part of healing …

In London’s Westminster Cathedral a packed congregation gathered in prayer for healing in the wake of the abuse crisis in the Church. Bishop John Keenan of Paisley, Scotland, was among the prayerful attendees. (Peter Jones EWTN GB photos)
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Hustings at South Woodford Memorial Hall, 209 High Road, South Woodford E18 2PA

Monday 25th November at 7:30. Canon Ian Tarrant tells me that he hopes that all three candidates for the General Election will come along. 2 have confirmed. Ticket information at: https://www.facebook.com/CWGhustings2019/

In an earlier blog you can find the voting record of all MPs on some important moral issues. Even a quick skim through shows huge differences!

There are important resources from the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children. I have ordered some leaflets from them. Immediately below, there’s a useful link to SPUC.

https://spuc.org.uk/general-election-2019

Some good people dislike pro-life campaigning, saying that there there are other issues at an election. Indeed there are. However, there are 9 million Britons who have never had and will never have the chance to vote because they were killed in the womb. There seems to be an order of priorities there!