Political implications of Johnson's Catholicisim

Even when the parents provide their child with a religious upbringing, a godparent serves to encourage the child's spiritual growth over time and stands as an example of another adult with maturity in the faith. ... In the Roman Catholic Church, godparents must be of the Catholic faith.

Sparklefizz

I was a non-Catholic Godparent back in the 1970s.

To a Catholic child, in a Catholic family, in the Catholic Church?

NotSpaghetti

Godparents don't all have to be Catholic Kali.

I have always refused to be a God Parent, as I would have had to swear that I would help raise the child in the Faith and support the child in said Faith. How could anyone who is not a Catholic promise to raise a child as a Catholic?

NotSpaghetti

I wonder if people have overlooked the point that non-catholics can mary a catholic in a catholic church if they are happy to agree to any children being brought up Roman Catholic.

I'm not sure that we know whether BJ has technically reaffirmed his RC faith or has simply agreed to his children to be bought up that way.

The point is if he isn't a Catholic then his previous marriages count as do the divorces, so it seems he must be saying he is a Catholic and those marriages and divorces don't prevent him marrying in a Catholic church. If he wasn't a Catholic then he would have to have the previous marriages annulled, which of course he might have. I believe it is easier to do than it used to be.

I couldn't marry in a Catholic church for my 2nd marriage as I didn't have my first marriage annulled as it seemed very disrespectful to my children. I did have excellent reasons for annulment, some can be more subjective but the fact that his girlfriend was pregnant at the time of our wedding was pretty good evidence.

My nephew had two Catholic godparents many years ago; it was a C of E service

I was a non-Catholic Godparent back in the 1970s.

NotSpaghetti

Godparents don't all have to be Catholic Kali.

No, we have non-Catholic god-parents to Catholic children in our family.

NotSpaghetti

I wonder if people have overlooked the point that non-catholics can mary a catholic in a catholic church if they are happy to agree to any children being brought up Roman Catholic.

I'm not sure that we know whether BJ has technically reaffirmed his RC faith or has simply agreed to his children to be bought up that way.

Yes

Or rather, no, I hadn't overlooked it!

Godparents don't all have to be Catholic Kali.

What about Godparents at the Christening- who were they, and were they all Catholics (as they would have had to make a promise to bring the child up in the Faith).

I wonder if people have overlooked the point that non-catholics can mary a catholic in a catholic church if they are happy to agree to any children being brought up Roman Catholic.

I'm not sure that we know whether BJ has technically reaffirmed his RC faith or has simply agreed to his children to be bought up that way.

Yes I agree state and church completely seperate would be a great step forward.

MawBe

Urmstongran

Well researched Avalon. Explains the background. Sort of puts this thread to bed really!

No such luck Urmstongran - like London buses, there’ll be more faux outrage along any minute !

Even ruder, well done.

Galaxy

I think the role of church and state is really interesting to discuss.

Indded it is- as the Anglican Church and the British State are still very closely linked, in 100s of ways. How many Catholics have we got in the House of Lords- or other religion which represent our current multicultural identity?

And thanks to Avalon for the information given re Brown in 2008- I certainly was not aware, and it is good to learn everyday. So truly MawBe- your 'next' is extremely rude and narrow minded.

I personally believe Church and State should be totally separate- but this is certainly not the case in the UK - where the influence of the CofE, on education, and in the House of Lords- is still very important.

So we can agree, disagree, debate, discuss, learn- but closing any so called discussion with 'next' - is totally OOO- as well as so rude. And not for the first time recently either.

It has just occurred to me. Do you think Johnson wrote two articles (and he did for Brexit) one pro-Catholicism and one anti before he chose to flip his religion again for the sake of expediency?

I have never seen so many anti-researchers praising a piece of research on GN. So we can expect all to back their many declarations of (often unfounded) opinion in the future. Brilliant. Every day's a school day, thankfully.

However, I would guess that it's more likely that Johnson will be ousted by bankruptcy than faith. You can't remain an MP if you are made bankrupt.

It is good if he has a faith. It might help him, can’t hurt.

Thank you for the information Avalon.

Urmstongran

Well researched Avalon. Explains the background. Sort of puts this thread to bed really!

No such luck Urmstongran - like London buses, there’ll be more faux outrage along any minute !

I doubt if Johnson is religiously observant, or maybe he’s has a mid life conversion. Who knows/ cares.

From a distant memory Boris’s family came from whatever orthodox religion was being practiced in Turkey early last century. As a practising catholic, who had Wilfred baptised as a Catholic, probably when he was only weeks old as is customary, Carrie has every right to marry in a Catholic Church.

Excerpt from the Radio Times.
“Boris Johnson learns more about his Turkish great-grandfather, a journalist and politician who was kidnapped and murdered in the early 1920s, and encounters the ongoing effects of the political climate of his ancestor's era in contemporary Turkey. The Mayor of London also finds out whether his half-French grandmother really was descended from blue blood as she claimed.”

I was brought up R.C. but only one family member married a Catholic. The non catholics had a few sessions with the priest which included a glass of whiskey and a few cigarettes. A box ticking exercise!

Times have changed. My cousin’s husband, not Catholic, had his funeral service including a requiem mass, held in the local RC Church. It would never have happened years ago.

Interestingly an in-law from a large CofE family was caught with child pornography and received a 6 month prison sentence. He had been sexually abused by the vicar and choir master as a child, but there didn’t seem to be much of a cry for blood over that. The choir master was dropped and the vicar moved elsewhere.

The hierarchy of many religions have a lot to answer for.

I think the role of church and state is really interesting to discuss.

It’s interesting you say that GrannyGravy. I was only thinking that yesterday about the number of Johnson threads on Gransnet.

Everyday a new one or two or three. The trouble is the important points get lost in the welter of pettiness.

Sometimes I’ve wondered if the posters aren’t actually Boris supporters playing a cunning game ?

Well researched Avalon. Explains the background. Sort of puts this thread to bed really!

None whatsoever as he is not a man who lives by his faith - assuming he has one.