Damian Green, First Secretary of State, tops The Tablet 100 this year. In second place is Baroness Hollins (pictured), a professor of the psychiatry of learning disability and an adviser to Pope Francis on safeguarding, followed by Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham.
In fourth place is Sue Gray, who works at the Cabinet Office and is described as "one of the most powerful players in Westminster". Fifth is Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, followed by Tony Gallagher, Editor-in-chief of The Sun and then in seventh place is the Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The Tablet 100 is a list of Catholics who bring a distinctive slant to politics, society, business, arts and culture.
Brendan Walsh, editor of The Tablet (pictured), says: "This is more than just a list of interesting people doing interesting things. Some are well known for their faith commitment; some wear it more lightly and tentatively. But there are important values held in common, a shared sensibility: a protectiveness towards the dreams of others, and perhaps the understanding that how the cards fall in this life is not all that matters."
Elena Curti, former deputy editor of The Tablet and part of the team that compiled the list, writes: "In past years we’ve called them the 'Top 100' but this implies there is a hierarchy of Catholic movers and shakers. We never pretended that is the case but we’ve dropped 'Top' to avoid misunderstanding.'
She defines The Tablet 100? as a snapshot of Catholics who are influential in Britain today in a variety of ways: they may be in positions of power, they may possess unique gifts, they may have vision, energy and zeal to found charities or fund them or run them.
The list includes celebrities such as the rapper Tinie Tempah, Manchester City footballer Gabriel Jesus, TV presenters Ant and Dec, their fellow star Dermot O'Leary and Chelsea Ladies footballer Kaz Carney. On the list is also the dotcom millionaire Andrew Gower, who developed the game RuneScape and Kevin O'Hare, director of the Royal Ballet.
First Secretary of State Damian Green. Pic: PA
Curti continues: "The very best are guided by what they have learned from Catholicism about how we should treat one another, and I suppose that is the point. By living their faith these individuals are trying to make life better for all of us."
She adds: "But let’s not get too serious. The Tablet 100 is meant to get everybody talking and it’s also a bit of fun. Week after week on Match of the Day, we’ve been watching Gabriel Jesus, the Brazilian striker of Manchester City play sublime football. He’s not the only Catholic footballer in the Premier League but he is one of the best, and his name is Jesus! He’s in at number 52.
"What else can we glean from the list?
"Most striking is the part that education is playing in the progress of Catholics in public life. Some on our list went to Catholic public schools but a lot more attended excellent state schools, some in the most deprived areas of the land. At its best, Catholic education is broad and academically rigorous. It provides a moral framework that stays with pupils for life."
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