Faith in Britain

In a memorable phrase, Professor Michael Fogarty said that 'movements are founded over the bones of dead pioneers'. In tracing a history of Christian Democracy he challenged us 'to think the unthinkable' and to recognise that the gestation period for creating political change might well be considerable.

In his paper, Professor Fogarty told the Epiphany Group that Christian Democrats had come to stand for personalism; the community; the liberal freedoms of democracy, pluralism and civil liberties; federalism; enabling authority; solidarity around the common good; and change combined with security and continuity.

Christian Democrats had also upheld three kinds of justice: 'commutative justice' (fair exchange in a properly regulated market); 'distributive justice' (the supplementing of market forces); and 'social justice' (a framework of social management).

Michael Fogarty's advice in 1991 to the Movement for Christian Democracy was fourfold. Do not be afraid to start small. Build up credible research and ideas, developing the existing vision through practical action. Hit the customers every way, not only through politics but through all forms of social action. Recognise that the core audience for the Movement are believing Christians, so do not neglect the link with the Churches.

Tom Cullinan told the meeting that it was a combination of the political and prophetic which was needed. And the Catholic writer, Jonathan Boswell, who had recently published Community and The Economy: The Theory of Public Cooperation provided the Movement with a practical and prophetic approach to handling economics by outlining how the present Market Economy could be replaced by a Community Economy.

The 1991 Prinknash Meeting went on to take some practical decisions about establishing a series of policy panels to monitor Government departments and to develop ideas. Francis Davis and Helen Alford were given the go-ahead to form the Young Christian Democrats, and the finishing touches were put to the preparations for the next four regional launches subsequently held in Manchester, Bristol, Winchester and London, and meetings scheduled for Liverpool, Nottingham, Milton Keynes and Durham.

Peter Hebblethwaite reminded the Group of the Russian Orthodox Epiphany legend of the fourth wise man. He was the one who was waylaid as he travelled to Bethlehem. He was taken prisoner and became a slave, never arriving in time for the nativity. He had to wait through the wilderness years but finally arrived in Jerusalem just over thirty years later and, as the legend has it, was there to witness the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.