http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/19991203/wl/britain_catholics_1.html

Friday December 3 11:47 AM ET

Britain Maintains Catholic Throne Ban

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's upper house of parliament has thrown out an attempt to change an ancient law barring anyone married to a Catholic from taking
the throne.

Conservative Lord Forsyth of Drumlean's proposal would have lifted a 1701 ban on the monarch marrying a Catholic.

But the House of Lords rejected the idea 65-14 late on Thursday after one of the country's constitutional experts said he thought Britain's royal family had been
through enough upheaval lately and should be left alone.

``The Crown has been through an unparalleled period of turmoil and it has emerged successful,'' Lord St John of Fawsley, who also happens to be a Catholic, told
the upper chamber.

``It now needs a period of consolidation and tranquility and peace ... Why cannot you let it alone?''

The British monarchy has until now been untouched by far-reaching constitutional reforms introduced by Prime Minister Tony Blair since he came to power in
1997. But Blair's government signaled last month that it would not defend the 1701 Act of Settlement nor rule out future changes.

Lord Forsyth said he would not give up amending the law.

``This is a government which says it wants to modernize the constitution, but if there is one bit of it that cries out for modernization it is the bit that says if Prince
William marries a Catholic, he won't be allowed to succeed the throne.

``It's just very disappointing we've been denied this chance to debate,'' he said.

The Act of Settlement was introduced in 1701 while King William III, a Protestant, was on the throne, to block a future Catholic succession.

The law is considered an insult by many of the five million Catholics in England, Scotland and Wales. But most of the pressure to change the law has come from
Scotland, where the most senior Roman Catholic, Cardinal Thomas Winning, has called it a blot on British justice and integrity.

The British monarch is head of the Church of England, part of the Anglican communion. This has been the case since Henry VIII broke with Rome in the 1530s.