It’s no secret I support the constitutional monarchy for Australia, but I won’t repeat the arguments here.
This post is to welcome reforms to the laws of succession proposed by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Mr Brown has suggested equal opportunities for women heirs and Catholics.
I’m ambivalent about the first issue, but strongly believe Catholics should be allowed to marry into the Royal Family, be in the line of succession and inherit the throne.
As it currently stands, a royal may marry a Jew, Muslim or a Methodist and retain their succession rights, but not if they marry a Catholic.
The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, said: “I do feel it is discriminatory, no doubt about it. The heir to the throne can marry anyone he likes – a Jew, a Hottentot, a Muslim – but not a Roman Catholic.”
But he doesn’t want to “make a fuss”.
I’m ambivalent about women heirs because it has always been that way and we’re talking about a traditional system.
Women are perfectly able to rule, of course, as two Elizabeths and Victoria have shown. Fate decreed they would rule. They are not excluded.
Discriminating against Catholics is a throwback to the 1600s. It was unjustifiable then and is unacceptable today.
Indeed, there is a strong argument under Jacobite principles that today’s monarch is not the true Queen.
Changing the laws of succession apparently requires consent from dozens of Commonwealth countries.
I can’t see any objecting, certainly not Australia.
