Murphy O’Connor will bring the House of Lords into disrepute, says NSS
If the retiring Cardinal of Westminster, Cormac Murphy O’Connor, is given a place in the House of Lords, it will make the most eloquent case yet for the abolition of the second chamber, said Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society.
The Catholic cleric who scandalously covered up the activities of a serial child abuser when he was Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, told the BBC World Service that he hadn’t made up his mind whether or not to accept. “My predecessor [Basil Hume] was offered a place in the House of Lords and chose not to accept it and felt that he had a better voice, if you like, outside of Parliament by being a religious leader and there is a bit of me that would feel the same. I wouldn’t like to think that those with Christian convictions were prevented from following those convictions,” he said.
Murphy O’Connor said that he also saw the benefits of being part of the House of Lords “to enable me to express my views, the views of my church, on social and ethical issues.”
He continued: “I think that the prime minister wants to bring religious leaders into the House of Lords to make sure that their voice is heard. That obviously wouldn’t just include myself as a Roman Catholic but also the Chief Rabbi and a prominent Muslim perhaps, because he thinks that these kind of voices in public life have a value.”
Murphy O’Connor also revealed that while he was in office he had access to the Prime Minister whenever he wanted it. “If I want to speak to the prime minister I can speak to him, put it that way,” he said.
The cardinal has also said that politicians should “show their religious convictions”. He said: “I think you should be more positive. Everyone has to act out of their religious, moral and social convictions and I would hope that religious men or women would have to bring that into the political field. I wouldn’t like to think that those with Christian convictions were prevented from following those convictions in their life in Parliament, though I do think that it can be quite difficult for some Catholics - in public life and in Parliament - to act out of their religious convictions which wouldn’t be at one with their colleagues particularly, as I say, in some social and ethical issues.”
Murphy O’Connor said that there would soon be a battle over euthanasia and although the Prime Minister’s personal convictions were with the reactionary religious leaders, he often felt the need to “constrain” them.
Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society said: “The reason that there will be a battle over voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide is because most of the country is in favour of it while the bleating Cardinal and his religious cohorts are against it. He hasn’t been elected by anyone and neither have the other imams and clerics that the Prime Minster intends to pack into the House of Lords. Consequently, in a democracy, they shouldn’t be able to dictate the law in ways that are out of step with the electorate.”
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