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Catholics in the Line of Succession

For the last 300 years, the British Monarchy has not allowed Catholics to be anywhere near the line of succession. But Gordon Brown is trying to change all that. On the surface, it looks to be a good move - get rid of religious discrimination against one group. However, not everything is as it seems. Catholics are getting more and more annoying* in Britain, and this could be one way to get them to settle down.
Gordon Brown's plan to amend the Act of Settlement is an attempt to pacify Catholic public opinion, which is increasingly horrified by the actions of the most anti-Catholic cabinet in living memory. That is not its only purpose: the Prime Minister is desperate to leave his mark on history in some shape or form, and constitutional change fits the bill. But, as a Scot who grew with a wily and well-organised Catholic political machine, he knows that Papists can cause trouble when they get their act together.
It's not a simple thing to change the Act of Settlement which bans Catholics from the throne. It affects the constitutions of every Commonwealth country, including NZ. And the proposed changes would only remove the impediment to marrying Catholics. The King or Queen would still have to be Protestant as they would be the head of the Church of England, with the title Defender of the Faith (ironically a title given to Henry VIII by the Pope of the time for defending the Catholic faith against Protestantism).

So, what will happen? It doesn't particularly bother me either way. And, the good thing about the act staying in place is a reminder of the persecution Catholics have faced in centuries past. Persecution never goes away - it just sleeps for a while.

Related Link: Brown's plan to amend the Act of Settlement is an attempt to neuter Catholics ~ Holy Smoke

* Annoying Catholics, getting up in arms over compulsory sex education for five-year-olds, the creation of hybrid embryos, the placing of children with gay couples, the attack on the selection procedures of Catholic schools...

Comments

  1. Damian Thompson is about the only good thing going for English journalism, and he is well on his way to be the 21st century Malcolm Muggeridge.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Have you noticed I've stuck him in our sidebar with his latest post updating automatically?

    That sidebar thing is really flakey, btw. Only works if you add a new gadget via Internet Explorer (not Firefox).

    ReplyDelete

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