THE
P RTAL
April 2019
Page 24
Brexit – where do
Catholics stand?
Geoffrey Kirk asks some important questions
A t the
time of writing, the Brexit Crisis is at its height. Will the UK leave
the EU? At this stage, nobody knows, but it is the time to ask whether or
not there is a Christian attitude to Brexit – and more specifically, a Catholic one.
The Bishops’ Conference of
England and Wales has been notably
silent on the subject – though it is a
safe bet that a majority (perhaps a
unanimity) of bishops is in favour
of remain. That is also true of the
bishops of the Church of England,
who have characteristically been
more vociferous.
But, quite seriously, are there
- as some have alleged, even in
these pages – good reasons why
Catholics should take one view or
the other?
Conscientious Catholics will, of course, want to
examine the consequences of such a major upheaval.
If, as many have maintained, it will cause economic
distress affecting disproportionately the poorest in the
community, then there will be a natural inclination to
avoid it. However, some have pointed out the benefits,
both economically and socially, of the change.
There is more than a chance, they say, that it may
result in increased prosperity; and that the benefits of
returning sovereignty to our nation and our Parliament
are incalculable. Temporary upheaval, in their view,
would be a reasonable price to pay for such benefits.
Are Catholics, as members of the world’s largest
supranational entity, inevitably enemies of the nation
state and sympathetic to any international association
that comes along?
There seem to me to be more questions than there
are answers.
Of course, when I enter the polling booth, I take up
the fateful pencil as a Catholic and a Christian – both
faith and reason are engaged, but I have never done so
with the certain conviction that Jesus wants me to vote
for one party rather than the others. What would give
me that certainty?
Surely if one – or all - parties
adopted policies (say on abortion,
euthanasia, human sexuality) or
proposed, by law, to censor belief
and proscribe my faith and that of
others.
www.agriland.ie
You may well say that Western
European societies (including our
own) are moving in that direction,
but we are not there yet.
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