Could A Roman Catholic Be Prime Minister

[sandyRoe]

?

[Samuraisan]

Wasn't Tony Blair a catholic?

[Mamyalynne]

Yes they could.

[anneasquith]

Not sure sandy, America did have Kennedy, you'll never have a Catholic king.

[sandyRoe]

Not when he was in office.

[jno]

yes, but not King though it's now legal for the King (or Queen regnant) to marry one, which it used not to be. It's wonderful living in a theocracy in which the ruler is also head of the state church; pretty much like Iran really.

However, if you go round telling people you're against gay marriage and abortion and eating fish on Friday (that last one is just a guess), you're probably limiting the number of people who would vote for you.

[mikey4444]

Why ever not Sandy ?

[jno]

Samuraisan, not till after he left office.

[Mamyalynne]

//The only positions specifically barred to Catholics are marriage to the sovereign or heir to the throne, or becoming sovereign themselves, a legacy of the Act of Settlement that followed the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the deposition of the last Catholic monarch, James II; there has never been a Catholic prime minister.//

[sandyRoe]

Mikey, I was hoping that JRM's faith would be one consideration keeping him out of No 10.

[jno]

Mamya, didn 't they change that last law so they can now marry Catholics?

[jno]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/british-monarch-can-now-marry-a-catholic-but-cannot-be-one/

[mikey4444]

Sandy....I think you will find that there is a much simpler reason why JRM won't be PM any time soon.....the clues are in the other 2 JRM threads of today !

[Mamyalynne]

I probably stopped my C&P too soon.

[mikey4444]

Jacob Rees-Mogg 'completely opposed' to abortion

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41172426

I am going to come straight out and defend Mogg here (!).

He made his point perfectly clear, despite Morgans's usual attempt to interrupt him, and talk over him. He was personally against abortion, but the UK law isn't going to change.

Its his right to have that view, although I personally disagree with him ....Voltaire and all that !

[ichkeria]

"Mikey, I was hoping that JRM's faith would be one consideration keeping him out of No 10. "

There are plenty of other considerations which hopefully will keep Moggers and No 10 well separated :-)

[sandyRoe]

It's strange that Protestants and Catholics here in NI, who are miles apart on so many issues, can agree that abortion is an "abomination".

[anneasquith]

JRM as PM , oh please no, he is everything I detest about politicians and men .

[Peter Pedant]

yes
there was discussion when Bliar was PM as he started attending roman services ( but did not communicate ) Brompton Oratory in case anyone wonders
and it was decided there was no bar
and no change needed as altho it looked as tho he chose Bishops etc - it was all done by committee in his name ( and then passed to the sovereign ) so he it made no difference and he could be a sun-worshipper if he wished

Some oaths of office are so anti catholic that no rock cake could swear them ( Lord Chancellor springs to mind ) but they have been quietly changed

[Peter Pedant]

// Mamya, didn 't they change that last law so they can now marry Catholics?//
yes they did - Succession to the Crown Act 2013
which is here
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/20/section/2

[jno]

there used to be a plaque on the Munument explaining how the Great Fire of London was all the work of papists. I think it's been quietly tucked away in the Museum of London.