"It has always been my observation that it went from joint UK / Vatican rule to just Vatican."
The clerical abuse scandal has all but put paid to that situation.
The Church was forced to issue threats of excommunication to politicians who voted in favour of the new (insipid) laws on pregnancy termination.
Fifteen years ago no such bill would have been possible and even today it took the death of a young woman due to religion influenced practices to produce the compromises.
Going - going - but not yet gone!
Jim Carroll