Freedom of religion must be upheld, says cardinal

THE leader of Scotland's Catholics has claimed the right to freedom of religious expression is "not upheld as widely as it should be".

In a homily in London, Cardinal Keith O'Brien urged support for a "declaration of Christian conscience" which calls upon those in positions of leadership, responsibility and influence in the UK to pledge to respect, uphold and protect the rights of Christians to hold their beliefs and to act according to their Christian conscience. He said: "Within the last week, Christians across the UK have endorsed the 'Not Ashamed' campaign urging us all not to be ashamed of our Christian heritage, while in Scotland Catholics have raised their voices against sectarianism and intolerance directed against the Church."

The cardinal added: "Clearly, these actions show that freedom of religious expression, a basic human right, is not upheld in our midst as completely as it should be."