About this Event
When Pope Benedict XVI addressed civic and religious leaders at Westminster hall in 2010 he challenged all those assembled to see religion not as "a problem for legislators to solve, but a vital contributor to the national conversation” and to "seek ways of promoting and encouraging dialogue between faith and reason at every level of national life". Realising this vision calls for Catholics, in particular the laity, actively to participate to foster these principles in public life.
In a document entitled ‘Participation of Catholics in Political Life’ the Church reminds us that “the life of a democracy could not be productive without the active, responsible and generous involvement of everyone”. For lay Christians this means exercising their “proper task of infusing the temporal order with Christian values”.
Despite the clear call to engage in public life, many Catholics are fearful of the challenges involved. Political life can seem to many Catholics a space which is hostile or closed off to those of sincere and deeply held religious convictions. Many Catholics are left wondering how they might meaningfully engage in public life so as to bring about the common good.
Despite the real challenges we can and should be inspired by the example of holy men and women, people like St Thomas More (Patron of Statesmen and Politicians), who have generously committed themselves to politics and government. In this webinar we want to encourage more Catholics to connect with the work of organisations that want to help lay Catholic's to participate and flourish in public and political life.
In this webinar, which will be chaired by Mike Kane MP (Chair of the Catholic Legislators Guild), we will hear from representatives from two key organisations (Catholics for Labour and Catholics in the Conservatives) with a chance afterwards for Q&A. We hope this webinar will serve to encourage and equip more Catholics to engage in public life at all levels of society.
Format
MIKE KANE MP | Welcome and Opening Remarks (5-10 minutes)
LEO WATSON | Catholics for Labour (10 minutes)
FRANCES LASOK | Catholics in the Conservatives – (10 minutes)
Q&A | (30 minutes)
