Oratory priest in London calls Catholic politicians to confession before Communion

The Brompton Oratory in London, with which the London Oratory School is associated. / Credit: James Grey via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Dublin, Ireland, Jul 8, 2025 / 15:38 pm (CNA).

At Sunday Mass at the Brompton Oratory in Knightsbridge, London, Provost Father Julian Large pleaded with members of Parliament (MPs) who voted in favor of abortion up until birth or assisted suicide not to present themselves for Communion.

During his July 6 homily at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Large referred to the recent and widely reported situation in which Chris Coghlan, a Catholic MP, voted in favor of assisted suicide and then publicly criticized his parish priest for refusing him Communion.

Ahead of the vote on the Terminally Ill Adults Bill, the Liberal Democratic MP had been told by his parish priest Father Ian Vane that if he voted for assisted suicide, he would be an obstinate public sinner and be denied Communion.

Subsequently, at Mass the weekend following the Westminster vote, Vane publicly announced that Coghlan had broken canon law and was being denied Communion.

Coghlan subsequently took to social media and complained to the press that his parish priest had tried to coerce him when all he was doing was representing the views of his constituents.

An Oratory Mass-goer told the Catholic Herald that Large commended Vane for his courage and charity in calling the MP to repentance. And, while the provost acknowledged that he did not recognize any of the names of the Catholic MPs who voted in favor of either of the bills, and therefore would not be in any position to refuse them Communion, he pleaded that if any were present at Mass, they first repent of their sins and receive absolution in the sacrament of penance before presenting themselves at the altar rail.

Large also encouraged Catholics more broadly to reflect on whether they were receiving Communion worthily and to approach Communion as though it were their first and their last. 

Indeed, in his June 30 parish newsletter, Large lamented the lack of piety and seriousness among the parents of young Catholics receiving their first holy Communion in the oratory.

“Judging by the comportment of many of the adults in church at the first holy Communion Masses, however, it seems that in many cases it will be down to the children to set a good example to the grown-ups. The roar of chatter, and the marching backwards and forwards in front of the high altar before and after the Mass without any sign of acknowledgment for the King of Kings who is present in the tabernacle give the impression that many of the adults (including those once educated at expensive Catholic schools) treat the event more like a summer cocktail party.”

Coghlan wrote on X: “I thought an MP could keep their religion private but there’s been some discussion about mine. If there isn’t space in the Catholic Church for those who don’t subscribe to all of it, that’s a shame.”

The Brompton Oratory in London is a community of 10 priests who are part of the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. It has emerged as a significant focus and location of renewal of Catholicism in the United Kingdom. Thousands attend Mass there each weekend, including many young people. This trend reflects a growing interest in traditional practices within the Church.