St. Colmans
Friday
Saturday*
Sunday
9.30am
10.00am
11.00am
* - followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
All Saints
“For the poorest in our society, this is an emergency, not a crisis. We call on everyone, from public representatives to parishioners in our parishes, to come together in a spirit of solidarity and active concern for those who are in need among us at this time.”
“Despite political differences about the Protocol and a future border poll, the most urgent duty on our local MLAs, of all parties, is to prioritise concrete actions that will address the life or death situation many people and businesses face now, and in the months ahead.” – Northern BishopsEvery day seems to bring news of dramatic and unplanned increases in the cost of basic essentials such as food, fuel and heating. More and more low and middle income families, older people and vital businesses in our economy, are gripped with fear as they think about what lies ahead this autumn and winter. The recent Westminster budget has done little to lift this fear and the absence of an Executive at Stormont is unquestionably impeding the effort to respond to the depth and urgency of the situation. 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.
Politicians have a particular duty to ensure the basic needs of citizens are being met and to reassure those in need that serious, meaningful help is on its way. What has been offered to date, does not go far enough to meet that need. Indeed, the “fiscal plan” presented last week to the Westminster parliament represents an unjust distribution of resources which will benefit the richest but bring little comfort to those hardest hit and most at risk in these trying times. This highlights once more the need for working devolved politics in Northern Ireland that can deliver for the real needs of people here, especially lowest income families and many small and medium businesses, key employers on this part of the island, on the brink of collapse. Despite political differences about the Protocol and a future border poll, the most urgent duty on our local MLAs, of all parties, is to prioritise concrete actions that will address the life or death situation many people and businesses face now, and in the months ahead.
Of particular concern, is the fact that in Northern Ireland, one in four children are living in poverty - one of the highest levels of child poverty of any population in Europe. This is despite the fact that a Child Poverty Strategy has been promised for years now - most recently in the New Decade New Approach agreement - but has not yet been delivered, 25 years on since the Good Friday Agreement.
Recent research from our Marriage Care Service, ACCORD, also points to the intensifying pressure the financial crisis is having on families, with 81% of those surveyed reporting that worries concerning money are a primary point of family and relationship pressure. It is known that many families here already have less than £100 per month in disposable income. We also know that, in comparison with other parts of these islands, more people here are reliant on social security, more people are in fuel poverty, more people are in absolute poverty and we have some of the highest levels of working poor. This means that the impacts of this emergency will be felt most acutely here. We accept that there is also much that we in the Churches can do to help. The amazing positive response at parish and community level during the Covid-19 pandemic shows what can be achieved when people work together. We commend and thank the many charitable organisations and partnerships that are already delivering help to people on the ground, as they have always done. A similar effort is now needed.
We therefore call on all of our parish communities to BE ALERT for those who are most impacted by the current emergency, recognising that hardship is often hidden and that many people suffer in silence, being reluctant to go out and seek help. We invite our congregations, like St. Vincent de Paul and after the example of Jesus himself, to put the poorest and most vulnerable among us first, and to reflect in prayer on what more they can do to help ordinary families and those in need over coming weeks and months.
Food banks, Saint Vincent de Paul Conferences and other charitable outreaches urgently need new volunteers and more resources due to the unprecedented demand which is likely to get worse as winter approaches. Parish Pastoral Councils might consider extending their existing parish hall activities or providing warm spaces, hot meals, fuel vouchers or other helpful initiatives in response to this urgent situation. Psalm 34 reminds us that “The Lord hears the cry of the poor”. At a personal level, let us all be open to hearing and responding to “the cry of the poor” in our midst - both at local and global level. And if we are fortunate enough to have sufficient resources to keep ourselves warm and nourished this winter, let us think of others who are struggling simply to survive. A time like this calls us to examine our own relationship with the material goods of this earth in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, friend of the poor. 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 everywhere.
To conclude, we encourage our Parish communities to reflect prayerfully on the “pact” signed in Assisi on Saturday last by Pope Francis together with young people from all over the world:
We, young economists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, called here to Assisi from every part of the world, aware of the responsibility that rests on our generation, commit ourselves today, individually and all collectively to spending our lives so that the economy of today and tomorrow becomes an economy of the Gospel, and therefore:
an economy of peace and not of war; an economy that opposes the proliferation of arms, especially the most destructive; an economy that cares for creation and does not misuse it; an economy at the service of the human person, the family and life, respectful of every woman, man, and child, the elderly, and especially those most frail and vulnerable; an economy where care replaces rejection and indifference; an economy that leaves no one behind, in order to build a society in which the stones rejected by the dominant mentality become cornerstones; an economy that recognizes and protects secure and dignified work for everyone; an economy where finance is a friend and ally of the real economy and of labour and not against them; an economy that values and safeguards the cultures and traditions of peoples, all living things and the natural resources of the Earth; an economy that fights poverty in all its forms, reduces inequality and knows how to say with Jesus and St Francis, “Blessed are the poor;” an economy guided by an ethics of the human person and open to transcendence; an economy that creates wealth for all, that engenders joy and not just riches, because happiness that is not shared is incomplete.
We believe in this economy. It is not a utopia, because we are already building it. And some of us, on particularly bright mornings, have already glimpsed the beginning of the promised land.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
Below you will find the key points: See the full statement among the parish bulletins on this website.
Politics, lived with integrity, and in a true spirit of service to the common good, is a noble vocation. The freedom to vote is a hard won and precious freedom. For Christians it is also part of our call to shape society in accordance with God’s plan for human dignity, freedom and happiness.
Make your voices heard.
In this short statement, we offer some reflections on the importance of voting in the forthcoming Assembly election in Northern Ireland. We encourage all citizens to make their voices heard. We do so, not as politicians or political commentators, but as pastors, inspired and motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and guided by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, which have the well-being and dignity of every person at their core.
The responsibility of politics is to develop laws and policies that serve, protect and promote human dignity and the common good, in the particular circumstances of the society in which we live. We do not seek to endorse any political party or candidate. The hard work of weighing up who to vote for lies with each individual before God and in the privacy and primacy of their own conscience. We urge people to come out and vote, even though some are expressing a lack of confidence in the ability of politics to deliver meaningful change.
Poverty: an affront to our human dignity.
Our society continues to face some of the highest levels of social inequality on these islands, including some of the highest levels of child poverty, fuel poverty and dramatically increasing numbers of ‘working poor’.
Poverty is an affront to human dignity. The consistent failure of our local Assembly and successive Westminster Governments to radically and fundamentally change the dynamics of poverty and social inequality in our society is a huge indictment on the priorities chosen by those elected to serve the common good.
The urgent need to address our unacceptable levels of poverty, social inequality and the deepening crisis over the cost of living ought to be a fundamental issue for a follower of Jesus in the forthcoming election. While constitutional issues have important implications for economics and identity, this cannot continue to supersede the urgent need to address the ever deepening crises of poverty, inadequate access to health services, housing insecurity and the need for a reasonable standard of living in our society. This should be a key priority and an urgent concern for all our politicians.
Life is precious: equal dignity for all, including the unborn.
Speak up clearly and unequivocally for the rights and urgent needs of the most vulnerable in our society. This includes the rights and dignity of unborn children which are being increasingly relegated - culturally, politically and legally - to the realm of the worthless and sub-human.
We are very fortunate to live in an age when awareness of the preciousness of all forms of life and of every species on our planet is growing. In an inexplicable medical, scientific and cultural contradiction, so many of our local politicians seem willing to disregard the rights of our children in the earliest stages of their development before birth, while at the same time properly and stridently defending the rights of animals, plants, trees and rivers.
We ask all voters to consider seriously the choice before them in this election - of supporting a loving, positive culture of life and care, or of further facilitating a culture that denies the very humanity and right to life of our unborn children, even directly targeting those with disabilities.
We believe it is possible to create a respectful and life-supporting environment for every person, at every stage and in every state of our lives. A culture of love and care that embraces all - especially the most vulnerable - offers the greatest hope for humanity and its future.
We therefore encourage voters to make their voices heard by telling candidates on the doorsteps that they expect them, if elected, to work for the equal dignity of all, including the protection of all mothers and their unborn children.
A warm welcome to those in need.
Christians, and all people of goodwill, should seek to build a civilisation of love and care that promotes the well-being and progress of all. This culture of welcome and care includes an obligation to welcome those who are fleeing violent conflict, persecution, famine or other tragic human situations, including the increasingly irreversible consequences of climate change.
Yet, the difficulties being experienced by Ukrainian refugees and migrants in general, are receiving little comment or attention from our local politicians.
We appeal for urgent cross-border cooperation on the island of Ireland to address the plight of Ukrainian refugees.
Building a culture of care for each other and for our common home.
Welcoming the stranger, protecting and nurturing human life in all its stages, these are fundamental values of the Christian faith. They extend also to our duty of care for the earth itself - our common home.
There is an urgent need to meet the commitments made at the Glasgow COP 26 Conference last November. This includes reviewing immediately our use of fossil fuels and developing more sustainable modes of agricultural, industrial and economic activity.
Respect for religious freedom and for faith in the public square.
Those who stand for political office deserve our respect.
Those in public life are called to model respectful and constructive debate, and to demonstrate high standards of tolerance, inclusion and respect in public discourse and policy making.
Increasingly, those of religious faith and conviction can find themselves marginalised, excluded or treated differently from other groups in society. The idea that politics should be ‘neutral’ and ‘does not do religion’ is itself a concept that implicitly denigrates the right to hold and live by one’s religious convictions.
We encourage politicians and voters to support a truly diverse and tolerant political culture, and to challenge the trend towards a culture that claims to be secular but is in fact intolerant and increasingly hostile to religious faith and its right to offer a respected voice in the public square. Catholic and other faith-based schools contribute actively to reconciliation and the common good. They have the right to be treated equally and with respect.
Political stability serves the common good.
To address these issues effectively and urgently, our society requires a stable and effective Government. A functioning and stable Executive and Assembly will provide the most stable space to work through the important issues of reconciliation, legacy and our constitutional future.
We remain convinced that human dignity and the common good of our society are best served by a commitment to the stability of our locally devolved institutions. We encourage all citizens to work to restore and help build a better future for all by making their voices heard in the forthcoming Assembly election.
