Saint of the Month: Aneurin Bevan

In March I always think of my Welsh ancestry. March 1^st is the Feast of St. David, the Patron Saint of Wales. March 17^th is St. Patrick's Day, and there's a large body of evidence that Ireland's Patron was actually born in Wales. The Lutheran Church celebrates the great Welsh-American theologian Jonathan Edwards, Father of the First Great Awakening on March 22^nd. So while my Taffy Pride is still in full bloom, I'd like to say a word of praise to a figure little known in the United States but whose fiery spirit would certainly be welcome this March as we come to the deadline to sign up for

the Affordable Care Act.



Aneurin Bevan (1897-1960) was the son of a Welsh coal miner and a seamstress. He grew up among deeply religious (a Baptist father and Methodist mother) working-class people. He entered the coal mines himself when he came of age, and became a fiercely loyal supporter of labor unionism. Through the union, Bevan entered politics as a candidate from Britain's Labour Party and represented his Welsh constituency faithfully in Parliament. “Nye” as he was called, fought ferociously for the rights of working-class and poor people. He opposed Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policies, but was equally critical of Britain's imperial adventurism during the Suez crisis.

Bevan's greatest achievement, however, came following World War II when he was tapped to serve as Minister of Health. Through great opposition from Conservatives and the medical profession, Bevan created Britain's National Health Service in 1948. He boldly asserted,

“...no society can legitimately call itself civilized if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means.”(from In Place of Fear, 1952)

Although the UK's National Health has been roundly criticized for delayed service, I have to agree with Bevan that a wealthy nation has a duty to provide for all of her citizens. I am convinced that America's Affordable Care Act is very likely stuffed full of clauses and conditions which will become unwieldy and troublesome in the future and will have to be amended or altered in some way. Nevertheless, the principle of charity and mercy for all convinces me that universal healthcare is right, moral, and in keeping with the Christian faith.

“...cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God has come near to you.'” (Luke 10:9)

Some weeks ago, my sister was placed on hospice care. She is losing the battle with a type of cancer which would have been curable had adequate healthcare provided an early diagnosis. Unfortunately, her employer did not provide her with such benefits, and purchasing health insurance was beyond her means. I have little patience with those who claim that the Affordable Care Act, an attempt to provide quality healthcare for all Americans, is “socialist” or a threat to Americans' freedom or liberty. The uninsured in this country face harsh economic struggles with the high cost of our healthcare. There is no greater threat to Americans' liberty and freedom than poverty.

So God bless you, Saint Aneurin, and all who champion compassion for the poor and working classes. I hope there's a Welsh corner in Heaven where the angels are lustily singing Cwm Rhondda and Calon Lan. I know, when the time comes, that my sister will make a fine addition to the soprano section, and that she'll keep a space in the tenor section open for me.

PS-It looks like the new Pope is a pretty aggressive champion of the working class himself. Let's invite him to have a meal with us by clicking and signing my petition for Eucharistic sharing here.