GALHA in today's Guardian

Malcolm Trahearn on the Committee got this letter from GALHA published in today's Guardian:

Concern over new archbishop's 'moral agenda'

"Your profile (3 April) of Vincent Nichols, the new Archbishop of Westminster, is seriously lacking in balance. Nichols may well be extremely able, but he is also seen as aggressive, ambitious and divisive, even by bishops in the church, whose letters to the Vatican expressing reservations regarding his suitability as Cormac Murphy-O'Connor's successor were leaked to the Sunday Telegraph.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have particular reasons to be concerned. He has been very hardline in his campaigns against the government's equality measures. He was bitterly opposed to civil partnerships, protection for gays in the provision of goods and services, and gay adoption. His attempts to prevent this, aided by Ruth Kelly, were only blocked in Tony Blair's cabinet by the determination of Alan Johnson and others. Nichols accused the government of "imposing its moral agenda upon the church". However, he forced it to back down when it tried to introduce non-faith quotas in faith schools.

Nichols will be leading the Catholic church in Britain at a time when the Pope has been invited to make a state visit. Pope Benedict, it should be remembered, heads a church that still describes homosexuals as "intrinsically disordered" and has recently opined that homosexuality is more serious to the world than the destruction of the rainforests. Now he has elevated the man even his own advisers are worried about. Further insults and attacks upon human rights are to be expected. The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (Galha), which celebrates its 30th birthday this year, will fight on."

Malcolm Trahearn
Committee member, GALHA

From the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/07/letters-anglicanism-religion