Catholic union fund-raising to counter ‘erosion’ of religious values

A LEADING Catholic lay organisation has launched a fund-raising campaign to counter what it describes as a continual erosion of religious freedom, life issues and family values, writes Christopher Lamb.

The Catholic Union of Great Britain, whose president is the Conservative politician Sir Edward Leigh, says it needs an income of at least £100,000 a year to “defend the rights of Catholics and promote genuine human values” in society.

The union currently has an annual income of around £30,000, which is generated through the contributions of members and the return from investments.

In a letter to prominent Catholics, James Bogle, chairman of the trustees, writes: “The present income is inadequate to deal with the challenge of the continual erosion of religious freedoms, declining traditional family values and the significance of all human life issues.”

Mr Bogle explains that the union exists to promote Catholic moral and social principles in the public sphere.