21 December 2011

Bishop Tartaglia welcomes Prime Minster's recognition of "Christian values"

In a letter to Prime Minster David Cameron, Bishop Philip Tartaglia has welcomed his acknowledgment of "the fundamental contribution of Christianity to British society". Commenting on a speech delivered at Oxford University by the Prime Minster to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, Bishop Tartaglia welcomed the Prime Minster's words which he said came at a time when "many of us are concerned that freedom of religion, understood not simply as freedom to worship, but also as freedom to express and teach our faith, is in danger of being eroded in the United Kingdom"

The full text of the letter is shown below

ENDS

Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
5 St. Vincent Place
Glasgow
G1 2DH
0141 221 1168
07968 122291
pk@scmo.org
www.scmo.org


Right Hon. David Cameron MP, Prime Minister
10 Downing St.
London SW1A 2AA                         20th December 2011

Dear Prime Minister,
I was pleased to read news reports of a speech you gave recently in Oxford marking the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible in which you acknowledged the fundamental contribution of Christianity to British society, called for a revival of Christian values, and acknowledged the importance of the Christian faith and of other religious faiths to the majority of people in Britain today.
I welcome your words at a time when many of us are concerned that freedom of religion, understood not simply as freedom to worship, but also as freedom to express and teach our faith, is in danger of being eroded in the United Kingdom by illiberal limitations being placed on what Christians can say and do. I hope that your wise words will be reflected in the decisions reached by Parliaments and Assemblies, by the courts and by regulatory bodies up and down the land.
With my best wishes to you and your family for Christmas,

Philip Tartaglia,
Bishop of Paisley