The bishops of Northern Ireland have condemned the government’s “unjust distribution of resources” in an appeal to churches and civil society to help those worst affected by perilous economic conditions.
The Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin, was one of the five signatories of a statement issued today on the feast of St Vincent de Paul, which expressed “urgent concern about the challenges facing the most vulnerable of our society, as multiple economic pressures converge to create life threatening levels of deprivation and fear”.
“For the poorest in our society, this is an emergency, not a crisis,” the statement says, calling on politicians and parishioners “to come together in a spirit of solidarity and active concern for those who are in need”.
The bishops are critical of the “fiscal plan” presented by the chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, in Parliament last week, which they say “has done little to lift [the] fear” of price increases for families and businesses and “will benefit the richest but bring little comfort to those hardest hit and most at risk”.
They also criticise the failure of the Northern Ireland Assembly to form an executive at Stormont, which is “impeding the effort to respond to the urgency of the situation. They say that “the most urgent duty” of public representatives “is to prioritise concrete actions that will address the life or death situation many people and businesses face”.
The statement continues: “We therefore urge a combined effort from all those in Church, politics and society to help address this crisis now; to act justly, to promote the common good and to show solidarity with the many thousands of families who are enduring hardship and worry.”
Northern Ireland has higher proportion of people living in poverty than other parts of the UK. In April this year, the Department for Communities reported that 17 per cent of the population was living in absolute poverty, and 12 per cent in absolute poverty. There are also more people dependent on social security, with a higher proportion of working poor. The bishops note that one in four children in Northern Ireland live in poverty, and criticise the failure of the devolved government to deliver an effective child poverty strategy in the 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement.
“We accept that there is much that we in the Churches can do to help,” they add. “The amazing positive response at parish and community level during the Covid-19 pandemic shows what can be achieved when people work together.
The bishops encourage parishes to support the most vulnerable in their communities who may not seek out help, and call for more volunteers for food banks, the Society of St Vincent de Paul and other charitable initiatives. They also suggest that parish use church halls to provide warm spaces, hot meals and fuel vouchers to those in need.
Citing the example of St Vincent de Paul, and the “Economy of Francesco” pact signed by Pope Francis alongside young economists in Assisi on Saturday, the bishops say that the emergency “calls us to examine our own relationship with the material goods of this earth”.
“The Word of God challenges us today to give as generously as possible; to be especially conscious of any waste of food, energy or other resources that we sometimes so easily take for granted; and to join our voices with those who call for real change in government policy and priorities so that social injustice, inequality and poverty can be eliminated here, and elsewhere.”
Besides Archbishop Martin, the signatories of the statement are the Bishop of Down and Connor, Noel Trevor, the Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, the Bishop of Clogher, Larry Duffy, and the Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh, Michael Router.
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