THE P RTAL
December 2016 Page 8
develop Alzheimer ’ s for example , they can get further detailed , defined care so it ’ s all Very Sheltered care in the Bristol context .
“ I felt it was important that , although I had heavy political responsibilities , I should be involved because I valued the importance of what All Saints represented . It was challenging when one felt unloved by , and isolated from , the Diocese . But All Saints also gave us an opportunity to live the faith .
“ In 2005 I was elected Tory leader in Bristol and stayed until 2010 , when ill-health forced me to stand down . In February 2010 , I felt tingling in my hands and thought I better get that checked out . The following morning I got out of bed and collapsed . I have Guillain-Barré syndrome . It ’ s relatively rare and can affect people from weeks to years . It causes temporary paralysis from the neck down , and can be quite minimal and go up to people ’ s knees or can , in my case , went up to my neck .
“ They don ’ t know the cause but usually sufferers have some respiratory ill health . I believe I had bronchitis just before . I was in hospital first of all for four months . I couldn ’ t feel anything , although my family say I had quite a bit of pain in my limbs . I had a cardiac arrest and also my kidney failed for a week , so that had to be dealt with but as I say I love to keep them busy ! I spent another six months in Rehab .
“ My faith and personal motivation wasn ’ t affected at all . There were an awful lot of people who had strokes or brain haemorrhages and they suffered a lot more than me . in politics , of whatever party .
From what Richard said about areas of social deprivation in his local ward , that was obviously quite an important part of his life . He saw his role as a politician as improving the lot of those who were at the bottom of the pile .
He agreed . “ Absolutely . For example , when I was Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood and Housing Services I had already prepared a plan for prefab dwellers . The present Bishop of Bristol , Michael Hill , wrote to me almost apologetically saying this has been raised with me , do you mind if I raise this ? And I replied of course not ! It ’ s your Christian job . We live in the world . The Gospel calls us to live to improve the lot of the common man , so I felt there was no confusion there .
“ Hopefully people will say I ’ m true to my convictions , but when you ’ re a leader you have to temper some of your public comments . For example , when Cameron was bringing forward single-sex marriage I wondered how I could react . I was then chairman of Bristol South Conservatives so I formally resigned , and that was on the front of a lot of the local media because I thought that way I wasn ’ t disadvantaging my constituents but I was demonstrating he didn ’ t have any legitimacy in the party to progress this .
“ We can hide in the back pew , but the Ordinariate is calling upon the core skills from every member and I personally think that ’ s really good .”
“ In January 2011 , I went to a meeting at Holy Nativity , Knowle , of people who were potentially interested in the Ordinariate , and we left our parishes . I ’ d been going to All Saints for a quarter of a century so like a lot of us it was a very emotional time . But I had no doubt . “ Becoming a Catholic seems to me like a coming home .”
We asked the delicate question about there being no Mrs Eddy . Richard was happy to answer . “ I had relationships with girlfriends but nothing actually proved to be permanent . I ’ m still friends with most of them . In many ways …. I know it ’ s a bit like the priesthood ; but politics does take over your life !”
The Catholic Church , its catechism , its priests ; the Anglican Church in the shape of its bishops and indeed one rather famous liberal bishop who was a priest in Bristol , and both the churches to which Richard has belonged , encouraged its lay members to be involved
The first Anglo Portugese Ensemble Concert was held last month at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory , Warwick Street , London - pictured in front of the musicians are Fr Mark Elliott Smith , Manuel Lobo Antunes , the new Portuguese Ambassador to the UK , Mgr Keith Newton and Fr Marcos Pinto , Portuguese Chaplain in London