Prime minister can't be catholic?

mcast123 · 12 Jul 2010 at 18:53

So I just watched the news on Scottish tv and they're saying a Catholic can't be prime minister? What the heck happened to PC UK?

I'm an athiest although was born catholic. Are they really saying a muslim can be PM before a catholic?

scrlk · 12 Jul 2010 at 18:54

Blair was a Catholic.

Jokester · 12 Jul 2010 at 18:54

Isn't it the King/Queen can't be Catholic?

Cosimo · 12 Jul 2010 at 18:55

They're talking about the monarch and the act of settlement:

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Catholic-leaders-criticise-PM-for.6413415.jp

RDM · 12 Jul 2010 at 18:57

It isn't quite as simple as that, a Catholic wouldn't be able to do all the roles that are required of Prime Minister as some involve the Church of England. There is a law that stops a catholic from advising the monarch on certain things.

mcast123 · 12 Jul 2010 at 18:57

simulatorman said:
They're talking about the monarch.

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Catholic-leaders-criticise-PM-for.6413415.jp

oh /facepalm

Nothing to see here.

ennogs · 12 Jul 2010 at 18:59

Vinni3 @H|H said:
Blair was a Catholic.

No he wasn't. He converted after he left office. The OP is right you cannot be prime minister if you are catholic. I knew my government, economics and commerce O level would be useful one day lol.

scrlk · 12 Jul 2010 at 18:59

Still surprised this BS still exists today.

Danthus · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:02

Vinni3 @H|H said:
Blair was a Catholic.

He converted to Catholicism, as did his wife although they pick and choose which parts of the the religion she adheres too.

Super Tigers · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:02

Vinni3 @H|H said:
Blair was a Catholic.

Blair converted to catholicism when he left office, his wife Cherie was a Catholic during his term in office. There were rumours that Tony Blair was alleged to have been a practicing Catholic during his term of office but there was no evidence.

Super Tigers · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:02

OldCoals said:
He converted to Catholicism, as did his wife although they pick and choose which parts of the the religion she adheres too.

Would that be contraception?

mcast123 · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:04

So my initial statement was correct, a catholic cannot be PM?

Xinn · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:04

I think it's a stupid rule, same as head masters of Catholic schools have to be Catholic, ridiculous.

I know a woman who has been acting head master of a Catholic school for almost 3 years but they will not make her head because although she is Catholic she has been divorced so won't let her be head. Absurd!

scrlk · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:09

R34P3R said:
I think it's a stupid rule, same as head masters of Catholic schools have to be Catholic, ridiculous.

I know a woman who has been acting head master of a Catholic school for almost 3 years but they will not make her head because although she is Catholic she has been divorced so won't let her be head. Absurd!

/dons flame-proof suit OK I'll admit, I'm a Roman Catholic, although I don't believe there is a God and religion is holding back the world.

It would make sense that a Catholic school would have a Catholic head due to the pastoral needs of the school but the 2nd example seems very, very odd.

Tefal · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:12

Vinni3 @H|H said:
/dons flame-proof suit OK I'll admit, I'm a Roman Catholic, although I don't believe there is a God and religion is holding back the world.

wait what? :confused:

Raumarik · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:14

OldCoals said:
He converted to Catholicism, as did his wife although they pick and choose which parts of the the religion she adheres too.

Like almost every Catholic I know then

RDM · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:29

mcast123 said:
So my initial statement was correct, a catholic cannot be PM?

No, as with many things in English law it isn't as black and white as that. There is nothing to stop a Catholic from being Prime Minister. However there are two acts which stop a Catholic or Jew from advising the monarch with regards to matters to do with the Church of England. As the role of the PM includes appointing high members of the CoE and the like it would make it somewhat tricky to do if they were Catholic or Jewish (religion rather than race).

If the circumstance were to arise then a minister would probably need to be appointed to deal with any matters relating to the eclessiarchy.

Amp34 · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:34

TBH I can't see the point of faffing around changing the ruling about catholics and the monarchy until it may actually become an issue... If William decides to marry a catholic then maybe we need to think about it, until then...

Danthus · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:43

Super Tigers said:
Would that be contraception?

Castiel · 12 Jul 2010 at 19:47

There is no constitutional reason why a Prime Minister cannot be a Catholic or any other religion.

The problems arise from Roman Catholic and Jewish Relief Act's of 1829 and 1858 repectively which state that no Catholic or Jew may advise the Monarch on eccleisiastical matters, this simply means that if we had a Catholic Prime Minister, he would be barred from appointing members of the Clergy to the House of Lords or appointing Arch-Bishops, someone else would have to advice the Queen on the Governments behalf I would imagine.

The only positions actually barred from being Catholic are the Monarch themselves or their spouses, this is a legacy of the Act of Settlement that followed the Glorious Revolution in 1688.

There are many Catholics in high positions in Parliament and Government, in fact Iain Duncan Smith, a previous leader of the Tory party is Catholic as is Charles Kennedy of the Liberal Democrats and both could in theory have become Prime Minister.