Time for the Church Militant?
There is no doubt that the letter from British priests, Bishops, Abbots and leading Catholics will have hit home with PM David Cameron and it is heartening that so many of our clergy have stepped up to the mark.
But a letter alone, even in the Daily Telegraph, is not going to be enough to bring about a re-think in Government circles.
It is an unfortunate characteristic, of certain men who have been educated at Public School, to be so totally convinced in their own ability to be right that they fail to see the obvious.
Pigheaded is another way of putting it.
At least, I hope that it is the obvious. I suspect that the average Catholic man or woman in the Thornton Heath pew cares little about Gay "Marriage" except to think that it is a rather Christian thing to allow freedom in such matters.
If this is the case, Cameron will surge on with his plans and, come General Election time Mr & Mrs Media Cattolico will place their electoral cross against 'Conservative.'
They could also place it against 'Labour' for that matter. Mr Miliband and his "red belt" are undoubtedly for homosexual "marriage" or any other kind of "marriage" for that matter.
So more is needed not just to bring Cameron to the stage of recognising he is acting undemocratically but also to galvanise the Catholic masses, the Catholic electorate.
Would a march round Westminster Square do the trick?
Possibly. Depending on turnout. And that depends on the Parish Priests and some of the Bishops.
Let's try to do the sums:
Take 1000 parishes with, say, an average of 300 Catholics per parish.
1000 X 300 = 300,000
Equals 300,000 people
Anticipate a minimal response rate (to the call to march) of 0.5%
= 1500 parishioners + 1000 parish priests = 2500 potential marchers
Now multiply that figure times an estimated 20 million people who would witness the march and subsequent debate on television and in the newspapers and you begin to build a picture of just how effective we could be given the wherewithal.
That's a sum that even a schoolboy at Slough Comprehensive could work out.
I think a march could be useful. But do not depend on TV news - see how often they ignore the massive PRO-LIFE marches to Parliament. Even the Telegraph dropped the letter from their on-line edition yesterday afternoon. In fact if you searched The Telegraph.Co.UK yesterday you would not have easily found the letter. I couldn't find it or any mention of it there...though they had given great publicity to the letter - via news item and commentary earlier in the day. Did they (The Telegraph people) come under pressure to drop the matter!
ReplyDeleteThe letter is still there with a list of all the signees but you have to scroll right down to the bottom of the front page to the small-font menu to find "Letters".
ReplyDeleteHope this helps.
I've only ever been on two central London marches but I'm up for the hat-trick.
Richard,
ReplyDeleteGod bless all those bishops and priests who sign the letter! Where were the rest? Count me in for march also!
Cheers,
Michae
Sky and Al Jazeera TV have both fully covered the massive march against same-sex marriage in Paris - but not, apparently, the BBC. What more would one expect from that hot house of left wing politics and homosexuality?
ReplyDeleteRichard, sounds like you are now organizing a march.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteLena......all it wants is either the Church or one of the main organisations such as SPUC to say the word and I am sure many of the laity would be galvanised.
Thank you Michael and thank you Genty, Sixupman.
ReplyDeleteFather (EFPE) yes, you are right but, given the right sort of press relations prior to the event and the build up of pressure, an impact could be made.