General
By Martin Kelly
Scottish Secretary of State Michael Moore is this evening facing calls to explain why Scotland’s most senior Catholic was not invited to join an official UK delegation on a visit to meet with Pope Benedict XVI.
The official Vatican trip, arranged by the UK Foreign Office, included the head of the Catholic Church in England & Wales, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, but no invite was extended to Scotland’s Cardinal O’Brien.
Cardinal O’Brien, as well as being the most senior clergyman in Scotland, is also the head of the Church in the UK – outranking the Archbishop of Westminster who was personally invited by UK Cabinet Minister Baroness Warsi.
The trip, which took place today, saw the Tory Peer Warsi and other UK Ministers including Scottish Secretary Michael Moore, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Alan Duncan the Minister for International Development, meet with Vatican officials in face to face talks.
British Ambassador Nigel Baker was also present at the meeting which saw the Pope receive a message from the Queen and a letter from UK PM David Cameron.
Peter Kearney, of the Scottish Catholic Media Office said: “This is a very unfortunate oversight on the part of the UK Government to have pulled together a high level delegation to visit the Holy See to have an audience with the Pope and not, ironically, to have included Britain’s most senior Catholic, Cardinal Keith O’Brien.”
It is understood Cardinal O’Brien only learned of the planned visit last Thursday. Asked why Cardinal O’Brien had not been invited, Michael Moore claimed that it was up to the Vatican to invite him.
However Mr Moore will surely face questions after it emerged that Archbishop Nichols was officially invited by a UK Government Minister. There will also be questions for the UK Government to answer given that the visit was clearly seen as a very high level delegation representing the Queen and the UK PM.
An outspoken figure, Cardinal O’Brien has made his views known on many issues from same sex marriage to nuclear weapons on the Clyde.
The snub will fuel speculation that the Cardinal’s views on Scottish independence may have been behind the invitation oversight.
The senior Clergyman is on record as saying he would be “happy” if Scots voted for independence and that it would be coming “before too long”.
Moore caught out lying again
What a surprise
Hi RaboRuglen,
Have been here a few weeks though haven’t posted much. But thanks for the welcome.
Their tactics are completely bizarre. However I wonder if it simply didn’t occur to them that a Scottish Cardinal could be head of the UK Catholic Church.
Hi RaboRuglen,
Have been here a few weeks though haven’t posted much. But thanks for the welcome.
Their tactics are completely bizarre. However I wonder if it simply didn’t occur to them that a Scottish Cardinal could be head of the UK Catholic Church.
However I wonder if it simply didn’t occur to them that a Scottish Cardinal could be head of the UK Catholic Church.
There is no UK Catholic church. The Catholic church in England and Wales is entirely separate administrativel y from the Catholic church in Scotland. The Scottish Catholic hierarchy answers directly to the Vatican as a “special daughter of the Church”.
There is no UK Catholic church. The Catholic church in England and Wales is entirely separate administrativel y from the Catholic church in Scotland. The Scottish Catholic hierarchy answers directly to the Vatican as a “special daughter of the Church”.
The unionists are operating on the whipped dog principal. The more you whip it, or in this case ignore it’s existence, the more it crawls after you to seek your recognition and affection.
And weary Wullie is again given a platform to let us ken how we are better off being subservient
O/T
I wonder why the Wall St. Journal is taking such a huge interest in the affairs of Scotland.
I counted 3 seperate articles on Scotland and it’s economy today.
This one :-http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204880 404577224831981313426.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
was posted by Ruth Porter (London school of economics) has a couple of well worn myths embeded. Someone should take the time to set the journal straight. Any bidders?
O/T
Just heard John McFall saying the SG should take Rangers hand what he means I can’t make out don’t know if he was saying it is AS fault.
…It’s a plain and simple snub by ‘call me Dave’s political cleek’….
Quoting call me dave:…It’s a plain and simple snub by ‘call me Dave’s political cleek’….
You mean “clique” – a “cleek” is a tool I used to rake middens with when I was an inquisitive wean.
Oh wait a minute – you might be right enough!!
CMD
Did you no run the streets with your girr and cleek as well