...was held at Parliament this morning. Rousing hymns, and Danish pastries, and coffee and orange juice and croissants. I sat next to Edward Leigh MP, a fellow-Catholic, and we didn't wave our arms about in the hymns. But I must say I like the evangelical rousing singing, even early in the morning (I was cycling to the station at 6 am to get to Westminster on time). General pro-life tenor to the various talks etc, and a mood of standing-for-what-is-right, in a straightforward and decent way. It's difficult to gauge how useful such great events are - I did meet some old and valued friends, and I think the general largeness of the thing sent a cheering message, and a stimulus to good work in all sorts of fields... much of the best Christian work is done, of course, in more humble surroundings, a point that was well made by those organising the event...there were some extraordinarily good interviews plus video-coverage ofa range of really noble work done in places as far apart as India and Sierra Leone and so on...
It felt odd to be eating breakfast, with crisp white tablecloths and an atmosphere of genial goodwill, in the Great Hall where St Thomas More and St Edmund Campion were tried...I think their prayers are always with those who are trying to do what is Christian and right, and certainly all in the hall would have more in common with them than with Richard Rich or with Topcliffe... if martyrdom ever looms again in Britain it would be to Campion's faith and courage we must look...
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I think we are called to faithfulness rather than martyrdom.
What is sapping the Church away is the steady attrition of members as the old people die and the youngsters, no longer Irish, choose nightclubs and shopping and live-in partners in preference to Mass.
However there are good signs, one of which is that religious stories are now making the front pages instead of being confined to a "faith" section between court news and women. People like to be where things are happening.
I often spot Edward Leigh at The Oratory for morning Mass.
One day in the little Oratory I saw him seated in the pew and it reminded me of the Commons the way the chapel is laid out.
Obviously a much more serene place than the Commons.
I made this point to Mr Leigh who remarked that the Commons was a chapel at one stage.
He seems to be a humble and devout man - how rare in public office?
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