British Cardinal Rejects Seat In House of Lords

In Britain, Catholic Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has turned down an invitation to become the first Catholic bishop to sit in the House of Lords. Prime Minister Gordon Brown hopes to appoint leaders of the major faiths to sit in the House of Lords along with the Church of England's 26 lords spiritual. Earlier this year, England's chief rabbi, Dr. Jonathan Sacks was ennobled and now sits in Parliament's upper house. Today's London Telegraph reports that Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor decided to reject the offer after broad consultation with other bishops and the Vatican. Bishops in England and Wales opposed the Cardinal's becoming a Peer because it might limit the Church's ability to be an impartial and critical voice on government policies. Also canon law bars clergy from taking any office involving the exercise of political power, so a special dispensation from the Pope would have been required.