The Cardinal's error

In a modern democracy based on universal suffrage the political process is about working for the common good. Deciding what constitutes the common good involves a procedure based on convincing and persuading, not declaring and dictating. Society no longer consists of communities in which the laird, the dominie, the doctor and the priest or minister were the only educated people, expected to tell the rest of us what to think. As Scotland's most senior Roman Catholic, Cardinal Keith O'Brien is right to make known his opinions on various issues and offer his guidance to fellow Roman Catholics. The Herald does not hold to the view that the churches should stay out of politics. If anything, their voices should have been raised louder during the Holyrood election campaign. The Roman Catholic Church alone has more members than all of Scotland's political parties combined. It is entitled to articulate its stance on the key political concerns of the day.