Scottish Catholic Observer

Concerns have been raised within the Church over a donation made by Rupert Murdoch’s son, James, to the cost of last year’s visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the UK.

As investigations into the phone hacking allegations at the Murdoch-owned News International continue, concern has been voiced within the Catholic community over the family’s close links to the Church in the UK, Rome and the US, with Rupert Murdoch bestowed with the Papal knighthood honour in 1998.

It is believed that the Murdoch family paid a contribution of around £100,000 towards the costs of the Pope’s visit to Scotland and England, while James Murdoch was among major donors invited to personally greet the Holy Father after he celebrated Mass at Westminster Cathedral last September.

Papal visit donation

Catherine Pepinster, editor of The Tablet, has asked in the publication’s most recent issue whether ‘Catholics really want their memories of one of the greatest occasions in their national Church’s history to be sullied by links to the corrupt and the cruel?’ and called for the Church to return the Murdoch donation.

“A welcome gesture now would be to return the Murdoch money and find other ways of replenishing the Church coffers,” she said.

Bishop Kieran Conry of Brighton and Arundel said that the Church will have to be more careful about who it accepts money from in light of the ongoing scandal over News International’s phone hacking.

“We’ll have to be careful in the future about that particular source of money,” Bishop Conry said. “A conversation needs to take place, discussion needs to take place. It is a public scandal and everyone knows Murdoch’s empire is tainted by these revelations.”

Knighthood

There has also been disquiet over the fact that, in 1998, Rupert Murdoch was made a Knight Commander of St Gregory by Pope John Paul II. Mr Murdoch is not a Catholic but was recommended for the honour—amongst the highest civilian honours the Vatican bestows on people—by the then Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles after he gave money to a Church education fund. The knighthood is bestowed ‘to acknowledge an individual’s particular meritorious service to the Church.’

In 1999, Rupert Murdoch donated $10 million to help build Los Angeles Catholic Cathedral.

Angus Brendan MacNeil, the SNP MP for the Western Isles, and himself a Catholic, said that if Rupert Murdoch is found to be responsible for the culture of phone hacking at his now closed News of the World newspaper, the Papal knighthood should be returned.

“We have to let both the police and judicial investigation do their job but if Rupert Murdoch is found personally responsible in any way for these crimes then, yes, he should hand back his Papal knighthood,” Mr MacNeil said, before adding that it would be ‘subject, of course, to Vatican protocol allowing such a thing to happen.’

Review

Anne Widdecombe, former Conservative government minister and a convert to Catholicism, said that the furore should make the Church review the Papal honours system.

“These knighthoods are dished out right, left and centre by the Church to the likes of big tycoons and statesmen,” Ms Widdecombe said.

“I believe, however, they should be reserved for those who’ve worked hard in the cause of the Church—those whose efforts often go unsung.”

A more cautionary note was added, however, by another Catholic politician, Lord David Alton, a former Liberal Democrat MP now sitting as an independent in the House of Lords.

“Papal knighthoods are not awarded as a sign of holiness or a reward for sanctity—but a recognition of active generosity to the Church and Her works,” Lord Alton said. “Mr Murdoch was given his, in 1998, after making a generous charitable donation. That has nothing to do with the current controversy surrounding some of his newspapers.”