When she considered her journey from the Church of England to the Roman Catholic Church, the Conservative MP turned to another figure whose convictions cost him, whose judgments could sometimes be imperfect, and whose fidelity to the Church brought both peace and disappointment.

ANN WIDDECOMBE left the Church of England and was received into the Catholic Church following the General Synod’s decision to ordain women as priests, but her reasons were not confined to a single measure. The dispute had exposed larger questions of authority: what makes Christian doctrine binding, and, what happens when a Church alters settled teaching? Whether one agrees with her conclusions or not, she did not seek to enter the Catholic Church for comfort or convenience.

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