The Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols and Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien, Archbishop of Edinburgh and St Andrews, have called on governments to protect the poor and vulnerable across the world amid the ongoing economic crisis.
In a joint letter to the political leaders of the G8, the presidents of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences from those countries called for concerted action to assist developing countries at the forthcoming G8 summit, which will take place between 8-10 July 2009 near L’Aquila, in Italy.
In a response from Number 10, The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown thanked the Catholic Church for its work on these issues. He said it was a moral imperative that world leaders maintain and fulfil their commitments to the world's poorest, particularly during the global downturn as the credibility of the G8 rested on demonstrating that commitments were being fulfilled.
The letter from the Bishops refers to Pope Benedict XVI’s call before the G20 meeting: “Development aid, including the commercial and financial conditions favourable to less developed countries and the cancellation of the external debt of the poorest and most indebted countries, has not been the cause of the crisis and, out of fundamental justice, must not be its victim.”
The letter focuses on the victims of the economic crisis and also those who will be most at risk from the harmful consequences of global warming. It calls for greater dialogue and co-operation to help prevent further economic crises and also an increase in development assistance to reduce global poverty and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
The Bishops' letter continued: “The G8 summit takes place in the shadow of a global economic crisis, but its actions can help bring a light of hope to our world. By asking first how a given policy will affect the poor and the vulnerable, you can help assure that the common good of all is served. As a human family we are only as healthy as our weakest members.
“Protecting the poor and the planet are not competing causes; they are moral priorities for all people living in this world.”
Mr Brown wrote: “I also appreciate the strong interest taken by the Catholic Church in climate change. Eradicating poverty in developing countries and tackling climate change are inextricably linked.
“The UK will continue to make every effort to ensure protection of the world's poorest remains central to this year's G8 Summit, which should provide a stepping stone to the G20 meeting later this year.”
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