MP attacks Catholic ban on monarch

[emad]

Stephen Bates, religious affairs correspondent
Tuesday March 8, 2005
The Guardian

The centuries' old ban on the monarch marrying a Roman Catholic will come under renewed attack in the Commons today, from a Conservative MP.

Edward Leigh, the MP for Gainsborough who is Catholic, is introducing a 10-minute rule bill to repeal the 300-year-old legislation passed at the time of the Glorious Revolution, which prevents heirs to the throne marrying "Papists".

He said yesterday: "Surely in this day and age it is intolerable for the constitution to pick out any minority on grounds of religion. The language of our constitution is itself derogatory. A member of the head of state's family can marry anybody apart from a Papist."

The bill has no chance of receiving sufficient parliamentary time to become law. But it is a measure of cross-party concern that antique legislation such as the Bill of Rights, Act of Settlement and Acts of Union between England and Scotland should include provisions for concerns which have long passed into history except for a small fringe of Protestant fundamentalists.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/monarchy/story/0,2763,1432536,00.html

OFF with his head!

[mrfrapp]

1. Waste of time

What a waste of time. As far as I know there isn't a monarch or an heir to the monarchy that is planning to marry a Roman Catholic. Why on Earth is this an issue now?

[emad]

2. A lot of previous.

nelson was right, so was Wellington! Off with their heads...

[cestpaspossible]

3. More sensible would be to do away with the monarchy altogether.

It's time for Harry and William to GET A JOB.

[Ian David]

4. I say keep the bill and show them a taste of their own medicine

After all, being a "Papist" is a "lifestyle choice" and they can be "cured" by the "right" church.

I am not condoning discrimination, I'm just saying maybe it's time for some symbolic "tough-love."