DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHRISTIANS IN UK

CATHOLIC CARDINAL RIGHT ABOUT DISCRIMINATION IN THE UK, SAYS CBC
Issued on behalf of the Christian Broadcasting Council of the United Kingdom (CBC)

16 September 2010

The Christian Broadcasting Council backs comments by one of the Pope's senior advisors that Britain is increasingly marked by ‘a new and aggressive atheism’ where discrimination against Christians is growing.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, 77, made the remarks in a German magazine interview. He has since withdrawn from the current Pope’s visit to the UK.

CBC Chairman Olave Snelling, who welcomes the Pope’s visit, says: ‘We have seen increasing discrimination against Christians in the workplace in the UK, and the growing prominence given in the media to a militant strident atheism.’

Reflecting growing concern about discrimination against Christians in the UK, the title of CBC’s annual conference in December is ‘Cry Freedom.’ It will hear claims by lawyers that there are now scores of discrimination cases against Christians in the UK.

‘We are losing our freedom of conscience in this country,’ says Olave Snelling, ‘and our freedom openly to be people of faith in the workplace.’

CBC extends a warm welcome to Pope Benedict XVI on his State Visit as leader of millions of Roman Catholics worldwide.

‘Our prayer is that media coverage of this state visit of the Pontiff will be fair and accord to him the respect due to a world leader,’ says Olave Snelling.

CBC acknowledges the very real problems besetting the Catholic Church worldwide with regard to child abuse. ‘We pray that there will be an adequate, fitting and sufficiently robust expression of repentance that ordinary people can understand,’ says Olave Snelling.

‘We pray for the victims of such widespread abuse that they may be heard and find some sort of healing and redress. We pray that there will be no cover-up for the perpetrators and that in swift and due judgement they may find some experience of God's forgiveness.

‘We also pray that this Papal visit will result in a visible demonstration of a vital and living faith to encourage all Christians to live as devoted disciples of Christ.’