The policy positions outlined by Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn seem to have much in common with the recent utterances of Pope Francis and the social teachings of the Church.
So, just as Francis has emphasised the importance of the human person over profits, so Mr Corbyn has called for people-based policies grounded in the common good.
His support of trade unions resonates with church teachings regarding the right of individuals to become union members and the need to rebalance the otherwise unfair workplace indices of power.
Mr Corbyn’s views also reflects church teachings in the international field, particularly in relation to peace. He opposes military action against Islamic State, he was against the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and he has said he would scrap the Trident nuclear weapons system.
Regarding the environment, there is little Mr Corbyn would disagree with in Pope Francis’ recent encyclical letter on the environment, Laudato si’: he favours renewable energy development over nuclear energy and fracking. He has called for the renationalisation of utilities such as electricity, water and gas, as well as the railways, so that these services can serve the common good of people rather than the interests of shareholders.
Mr Corbyn also gives witness to his beliefs in a similar way to Pope Francis. Just as the Pope has embraced a humble lifestyle, so Mr Corbyn lives frugally, cycles and maintains his own allotment.
There are many differences between Mr Corbyn and the Pope. Mr Corbyn is, for instance, pro-abortion and contraception. He is also not a particular fan of faith schools, though has no plans to dismantle them.
However, Mr Corbyn does have much Catholic support, particularly among the social justice fraternity. At the recent National Justice and Peace Network conference, Bradford University’s Professor of Peace Studies, Paul Rodgers, suggested that Mr Corbyn was the politician who seemed to be offering the most appropriate solutions to the global challenges of climate change and the growing inequality.
My first contact with Mr Corbyn came 20 years ago. Two Catholic Tamils, Prem Sivalingham and Sam Kulasingham had been convicted of murder, serving eight years for the crime they did not commit. Mr Corbyn made representations to the Home Office, which together with the efforts of campaigners and most importantly, solicitor Gareth Peirce, led to the two being cleared at the Court of Appeal.
Mr Corbyn has played such a role in many Catholic causes. In the 1980s he was one of those who invited Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams to London to speak. There was much vilification in Parliament and the media at the time, but the dialogue was opened that help pave the way for peace a decade later.
Mr Corbyn has stood by his principles while so many of his colleagues appear ready to trade just about anything in the interests of political expediency. Whether the stand will be enough to win him the leadership remains to be seen; but certainly his candidacy has opened up a new seam of hope amid what has become a pretty moribund political scene.
Paul Donovan is a freelance journalist
Above: Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday spoke at a CND ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. Photo: PA
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Most refreshing comment. We look for new attention to world justice issues and new sensitivity to those striving for freedom and justice. Courage and standing with the oppressed are true marks of a good social conscience
Francis of Assisi
I can assure you that by no means have all Catholics in Scotland fallen for the siren voices which are the SNP. A veneer of social justice hides the hard facts that if and when independence ever appears it will be very damaging economically for the poorest in society - need we wonder why the SNP has resisted Full Fiscal Autonomy becthey know the borrowing gap would jump and the tax bill would surge, hurting the poor. At the time of the independence vote last year, our home was full of Catholics - from all parties - fighting for the Union because they know we are stronger together, not divided with barriers created between us.
Mike, my experience of 1979 was of being bullied unmercifully by the shop steward of the closed shop I had to join to get and keep my first job it was made very clear to me that any disagreement with dictats from a small number of union personnel would mean that the shop steward would force me out. Not everything became worse after 1979.
May I suggest that you also look at the data on income and wealth inequality, say from the Institute of Fiscal Studies. The situation in the UK has not worsened steadily since Mrs Thatcher, indeed it improved in the last Labour government. If we could simply point to new-liberalism as the culprit, why has inequality worsened in those bastions of social democracy, namely Scandinavia? Perhaps it is more to do with global factors, such as technology and trade?
I agree re Corbyn's support of IRA
So Jeremy Corbyn is leading us backward! Is it not Thatcher and Blair that led us to the Victorian era? Should we not move forward with Jeremy?
Robin
It is, and that goes for all our political parties not just the Labour party. It's just a question of degree. You cannot seriously argue Christianity is even more influential in the Labour Party than it was say, 30-40 years ago, but if you want to, fine, just show me the evidence. I'm happy to retract.
As for numbers, consider this. I've looked everywhere for a list of openly Christian Labour MP's and can't find one. Why is that? It seems to me, that on the Left to be a Christian or a Catholic, is to be considered to be a weirdo.
Some information I have been able to get though, is the numbers of Christian MPs and Lords. It's only 17% of the total. Not quite extinct, but getting there. See link below. There are 650 MP's and 760 Lords but only 250 Christians in Parliament.
http://www.christiansinparliament.org.uk
Another telling indicator, is the group 'Christians on the Left' which has only 40 MP's and 15 Lords. If we take these as being all Labour MP's and Lords, the percentage of all Labour parliamentarians who are part of this group is about 12%.
http://www.christiansontheleft.org.uk
Again, this isn't extinct, but we're getting there. Might be wrong, but with the demographics going the way they are I don't see any realistic prospect the downward trend is going to get reversed.
Mr Corbyn has many attractions: he is fluent and has put forward detailed policies (whether or not you agree with them). He stands comparison with the other 3 candidates who have been timid.
However, he has a fatal flaw: his support for fundamental Islamism. This is dangerous to the interests of Britain, and to the Christian church.
Jeremy Corbyn, as invited guest speaker, addressed a Sinn Fein ‘festival’ in Belfast, on 5th August. At that gathering, he affirmed that he will extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland if he ever becomes Prime Minister. Earlier in the dayduring a BBC radio broadcast he had a ‘car crash’ interview with Stephen Nolan – by three times refusing to condemn IRA violence, including multiple murders. Afterwards Ann Travers, whose sister was deliberately murdered by the IRA as she was leaving Sunday Mass in Belfast in 1984 said: “Mr Corbyn’s refusal amounted to an insult to all our dead loved ones.”
Surely such view’s make him unfit to be a leader of any democratic political party?
I am in complete agreement with Paul's blog. There is a lot of nonsense being put about by those who do not wish Corbyn to win about taking the Party back to the 70s. In fact the late seventies was the time of greatest equality in the UK. Equality had been increasing for roughly 50 years but in 1979 with the arrival of Thatcher inequality rose and has continued to rise under all Tory, New Labour and Coalition Governments ever since. Corbyn, given the chance, looks to reverse this by moving away from the neo-liberal agenda ruling since Regan/Thatcher.
All catholics should be in favour of the possibility decreasing inquality and not punishiong the poor for the sins of the rich which the present government holds dear.
So Mr. Donovan thinks Marxism equates with Catholicism, Isis with Islam? And vice versa? Politics with religion? Well, when the latter two get involved with each other their offspring is mayhem or worse. Go study history, Mr. Donovan!
Jeremy Corbin might be many things but he is not a supporter of Catholic causes..least of all Gerry Adams and his brand of killers who in the name of a fascist-like nationalism butchered thousands of people. The Provisional IRA are not a Catholic cause.PeriodL
The Labour Party may well elect Jeremy Corbin as leader but welcome back to the1980s...the Tories will be in power
for a generation.I am glad we in Scotland have gone over to the SNP.
"the Christian side of the Labour party is all but extinct." What evidence do you have for this? Like saying "Christians don't read The Guardian." Not true and meangingless.
A genuinely left-wing labour alternative to Conservative policies might have saved Labour in the last election. Miliband wasn't Labour enough. When attacked for his stance on welfare or immigration, Ed should have moved to the left.
Corbyn's view of the Labour movement demonstrates that Christianity and Catholic social teaching can find a close ally in responsible socialism. There are problematic differences but pro-life principles should be applied both to the born as well as the unborn.
Thank you Paul. I worry very much about our apparent inability to engage in real debate and to listen to disparate views. As interest in Corbyn gathers pace the much vaunted political 'consensus' is increasingly being seen for what it is - expedient for the ambitious but largely a house of cards. Corbyn speaks to the hearts of the many who have been leading a difficult existence in a society which has been 'Thatcherised' and 'Blairised' into believing that socialism is a dirty word and which has made greed and self-interest respectable. What credible party in opposition would sign up to the punitive cuts proposed by this mean-spirited Government? The marginalised and dispossessed have a new advocate - two in fact. Pope Francis and Jeremy Corbyn. An odd couple, perhaps, but then truth appears in the most unexpected places. A stable in Bethlehem seems fairly unlikely, doesn't it.
Just over a century ago the Irish trade union leader, and subsequently reluctant revolutionary, James Connolly expressed his fear that the plight of the poor and the workers was being hijacked and subordinated to the agenda of 'freethinkers'. His fear was entirely justified.
Paul
Hate to tell you this, but your support for Jeremy Corbyn is irrelevant. He's got no chance of leading a government and the only thing he would do is lead Labour into oblivion. I would predict if he did manage to win, Labour would be reduced to about 150 seats at the next election, mainly concentrated around the North East, North West and North London.
The only thing this leadership election is proving is how much the Labour party faithful live in a bubble.
As for the Catholic vote and Labour, it's high but it's on the wane. The economy's changed, the country's changed but for Labour it's still 1973. Something tells me Catholics have finally cottoned on to the fact that Labour these days is full of 'right on' liberals rather than hard-working Christian men and women working for their families. The Fabians won, and the Christian side of the Labour party is all but extinct.
You think Sinn Fein represents Catholic issues?