BY Ian Dunn | October 28 | 
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Cardinal: Reform of anti-Catholic act a step in right direction
Cardinal Keith O’Brien hopes today’s announcement that British monarchs will be allowed to marry Catholics will ultimately lead to the repeal of the Act of Settlement
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Catholic clergyman, has given a cautious welcome to news of reforms to the anti-Catholic Act of Settlement.
Prime Minister David Cameron and other Commonwealth leaders agreed to remove the ban on British monarchs marrying Catholics during a meeting in Perth, Australia, today. There will be no change, however, to the law barring Catholics from becoming monarch.
While the developments fall short of a full repeal of the anti-Catholic legislation, Cardinal O’Brien said the announcement was a positive step in the right direction.
“I welcome the statement from the Prime Minster indicating that his Government together with all of the Commonwealth heads of Government intend to reform the Act of Settlement,” he said. “I am pleased to note that the process of change, which I hope will lead to repeal of the Act has started and I look forward to studying the detail of the proposed reforms and their implications in due course.”
The Commonwealth leaders also agreed female members of Royal family should be given equality with male heirs in the rules governing succession to the throne. Previously younger brothers took precedence over female offspring of royalty in the line of succession. The British Prime Minister announced the changes, saying the old rules were no longer suitable.
“The idea a future monarch can marry someone of any faith except a Catholic, this way of thinking is at odds with the modern countries that we have become,” he said. “Attitudes have changed fundamentally over the centuries and some of the out-dated rules—like some of the rules of succession—just don’t make sense to us any more.”
The legislatures of the Commonwealth countries where the Queen is still head of state will now pass laws ratifying the changes.
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So I suppose, the Catholic will have the choice of lying about raising the children Catholic or commit a grave sin by not doing so. So is it to be a real Catholic that makes this deal?
It is absolutely false to assume that a Protestant monarch that marrys a catholic spouse would not backslide into catholicism, did the Lord not demand Christians to be submissive one to another ? How can a house be divided let us not kid our selves!!!Faith is a Lifestyle not what you do on sundays or at christmas etc.
The allowing of CAtholics is not legal as the present queen that would give the royal assent has already forefeited the act of settlment by reconciling with the church of Rome. The first incidence was in 1961 when she met with Pope John in the Vatican. the Act forbids such a meeting it further forbids embassies in the Vatican and any type of reconciliation with the Pope.
Catholics want it both ways – to be saints and not to be persecuted for their faiths, you cant have it that way, if it is felt that their exclusion is a persecution against their faiths then they should have the courage of their Faith and the other Saints and bear it..for there is a reward in it sayeth the Lord.
Personally as a born again Christian as long as a protestant or a catholic has professed faith in Jesus then it is enough for me, however the law of the land is one thing and having the wisdom to make it right is another . Mr Cameron as are the Privvy council in establising the law and all thing rigtoues in the Name of the Lord, should ask the queen to abdicate and the laws which she passed since 1961 are to be annulled as they are made under a forfeited Crown ( Demise of the crown) and there fore according to Acts of Parliment are not legal. Once her laws and her reign annulled then he can go round the domininons and ask for the law to be amended so that he does not get done for trashing British heriitage and future with him being a catholic of course. His intentions are good but his methods are still based in error.
Bigot.Henry started heretical Protestantism.Christ founded the Holy Catholic Church.
Repeal of this anti-Catholic legislation needs to focus popular support in the same way that other causes have done using e-petitions to influence government policy in the UK.
It’s simple – if it gets at least 100,000 signatures, it will be eligible for debate in the House of Commons.
– http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/3574
I guess that means I still can’t be queen.
You can thank Henry VIII who started the whole mess in the first place to begin with.
Christian England was in union with Rome for some 1,000 years. Then, in the 16th century, a Roman Catholic king named Henry VIII asked the pope to allow him to marry his brother’s widow. The pope assented, and the king married. Having no male heir, the king then asked the pope to reverse his earlier decision and annul the marriage, which the Pope was understandably loath to do.
In response, the king set himself up as head of the church in England, wrenched his people away from the faith and traditions that had sustained them for centuries, killed many good people, closed and destroyed monasteries and convents, and pocketed their wealth. Such is the foundation of the Church OF England.
If the British government can recognize that some religious-oriented traditions relating to monarchy are outdated, then why in the 21st century does it not disestablish the C.O.E., remove the monarch as its head, and allow royals to marry whom they will, and reign regardless of what church they belong to? Jesuits are not hiding behind the tapestries in Buckingham Palace!