On Wednesday evening last week, the Catholics In The Conservative Party group hosted a formal launch event in the Houses of Parliament.
The group aims to support, recruit and mentor Catholics in the Conservative party and public life to ensure that the Catholic voice is always heard in government. Having been officially founded in 2020 during the trials of the pandemic, the group was at long last able to host a formal reception to celebrate its inception.
Headlining the evening was guest speaker and Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. In his speech, he stressed the necessity for conservative Catholics to flourish in government.
“Do not allow people to think that the Labour Party is the natural home of Catholics because it isn’t any more,” he said. “Indeed, it is very difficult to be a Labour Catholic nowadays because on the conscience issues you have to take the conscience of Marx from the conscience of Christ. I admire those socialists who break their whip and still stand up for Catholic views on abortion and so on, but they are finding it harder and harder.”
Rees-Mogg encouraged members to find the mettle within themselves to stand up for Catholic values in public life. “What I’m saying to all of you today, is that actually being a Catholic in public life is not difficult. It is not as hard as you might think, and it gives you the security of knowing you have the truth behind you. This is important.”
Catholic values have been increasingly threatened in the public sphere of late. The Public Order Bill and its “buffer zone amendment”, for example, promises to target those who attempt to pray silently outside abortion clinics.
Rees-Mogg referred to this, saying “we have some really serious issues to contend with. Currently, before Parliament, there is the suggestion wending its way through the membership of the House of Lords that praying silently outside of an abortion clinic should be illegal. This is absolutely monstrous as it’s a thought crime.
“How do you know if someone’s praying?… This isn’t just a Catholic issue, it is a freedom of conscience issue and a practicality issue.
“But we must also be ready to protect life at the end of life. I think euthanasia is the great next moral threat. Every country that has adopted it has found that they do it for the hardest cases, the ones that pull at the heartstrings and then suddenly you’re talking about, in Canada, where 12-year-olds are, in fact, mature enough to decide to end their own lives. We as Catholics have an absolute duty to stand up to that.”
It was this point that was highlighted by the second speaker of the evening, Marie Southall, Director of Public Affairs for the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales. “Now more than ever we need a Catholic voice in the public space. As you all know, it’s not always easy being a Catholic involved in politics. In this world of declining religious literacy, it can often be an isolating decision or one where there’s misunderstanding and stereotypes. Groups such as this one provide a safe space with peer-to-peer support, which is so essential in the political world,” she said.
These words emphasise the importance of groups such as Catholics In The Conservative Party. With ten parliamentary patrons, including names such as Rt. Hon. Damian Hinds and Sir Edward Leigh, the group has ensured its voice in government is heard and through its members has secured the same on more grassroot levels.
The importance of the launch of this parliamentary group cannot be underestimated: Catholic representation on all levels of government is now more important than ever. Catholic standards must be highlighted. It is only through supporting groups such as this that these increasingly endangered values can be protected in society.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.