The Christmas Fog

This is probably the last year I am in the UK. This Christmas, my wife Grace had planned to bring the family - including baby Elena - on a pilgrimage to Rome. She had booked the tickets and accommodation. More importantly, she had secured the tickets to the midnight Mass at St Peter's.

The big fog on the 23rd Dec however put paid to these carefully laid out plans. We were stuck for 7 hours at the Heathrow airport (including 4 hours in the plane sitting on the tarmac) before the flight was officially cancelled. So we find ourselves, back in our little apartment, just the three of us, eating a Marks and Spencer pre-prepared Christmas dinner.

Some flights managed to leave. Some friends travelling on another flight arrived in Rome and texted us last night when they were heading to the mass. We are naturally disappointed and frustrated, asking the inevitable question "Why us?" But during this important season for Christainity, we hold on tightly to our faith and trust that God has His reasons for this too.

Tony Blair's Conversion

Besides the big fog, one of the more interesting piece of news that emerged during this festive season was the conversion of former prime minister Tony Blair to Catholicism (and here). Of course, what religion he chooses is entirely a private matter, but such is his stature that his religious views have become national news. Most catholics welcomed his conversion, but there were some who were less generous even during this festive season.

Among them was a Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe (herself a Catholic), "If you look at Tony Blair's voting record in the House of Commons, he's gone against Church teaching on more than one occasion. On things, for example, like abortion," she said. "My question would be, 'has he changed his mind on that?'"

Not only on the issue of abortion had Tony Blair gone against the teaching of the Church. He supported stem cell research. He too supported civil unions for gay couples, and his government had passed an anti-discrimination legislation that granted gay couples equal rights to adoption despite the Church's loud protestations. Mr Blair famously said he was sick of "effing prelates getting involved in politics and pretending it was nothing to do with politics".

Separate Religion and Politics

Ms Widdecombe however glossed over perhaps what I thought was the most important point: many catholics support the separation of Church from politics. Even though I am personally aghast at the idea of abortion, I recognise that it is on balance better to keep abortion legal than to criminalise it and drive it underground. Likewise, though homosexuality is against the Church's teaching, many catholics are strongly against homophobia.

The Church is the guardian of Christian morality, it rightly has to take a public stand on many issues. But the prime minister has to care about the good of all citizens. Public policy should be made with public interest in mind, which includes the interest of atheists and agnostics, and not be pigeon-holed into the doctrines of any religious groups. Tony Blair should not have to apologise (not to us anyway) for policies that are against the Church's teaching.