I went to a Catholic conference on the Big Society. There were several lectures on the economy and what Caritas was doing besides much else, but how sad that we did not start with a prayer or even a mass.

The church can talk about politics, but its real power lies in prayer. People say that prayer does no good, (although sociological studies have shown that it does). What is certain, however, is that it does at least do help to those who practice it.

Photo: © Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk