Catholic Mayors In Public Life

By a Staff Reporter
Catholic Alderman Luke Hogan, M.B.E., former leader of the Labour Party in the Liverpool City Council, and second Catholic Lord Mayor of the City, commented this week on " the trouble at Wolverhampton, following a visit by the Catholic Mayor of that town to a non-Catholic place of worship?'
Alderman Hogan said that the difficulty could not be allayed by an ad hoc statement from one quarter or another, but calls for some specific action and clearly defined ,policy for the guidance of Catholics in public life everywhere.
"When I was Lord Mayor of our own city I attended civic service in my own Catholic parish church, but had it been possible to have two civic Sundays I would have had no objection to attending in the Anglican Cathedral.
The statement issued by the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster on Monday night included the words: ' No mayor has any official duty to perform in church in connection with his mayoral duties; he goes to church to worship.'
FUNERALS
" But is this so? Is a Catholic entitled to attend a wedding or the funeral of a colleague or old friend in a non-Catholic church? If he does, is he doing anything fundamentally wrong? If so, 1 am afraid I have been in trouble for many, many years, for I have attended this type of service on many occasions. " I did not intend to take part in the actual ritual or service, but attended as a mark of respect either as a private individual or in my capacity as chief magistrate, or as leader (as I then was) of a political party which includes people of all religious beliefs and some of none at all.
'' I think a fuller statement and explanation should be given because there will be other Catholic Lord Mayors and MasorS and very grave issues are involved, and many difficulties will be created for all concerned unless the issues are clearly defined."
Alderman Hogan emphasised that he has no wish to enter into any controversy but feels that his considered opinion as a Catholic layman of many years' public service voices the great difficulty confronting the laity in their endeavours to carry out the duties consequent upon taking public office.