Press release from the Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN)
CSAN, the social action arm of the Catholic Church, has welcomed the appointment of its patron Vincent Nichols as Cardinal, stating that the move will “reinforce the Church’s social action mission.”
Speaking on the day of the Consistory in Rome, CSAN Chief Executive Helen O’Brien emphasised:
“Archbishop Nichols is a consistently powerful advocate of social justice. On issues ranging from the removal of the welfare safety net to the challenges facing migrant communities, he has shown inspirational leadership rooted in the Church’s preferential option for the poor and its defence of human dignity.
“For many people this is a period of intense hardship, often resulting from unprecedented cuts to the welfare system or tough new immigration legislation. Archbishop Nichols’ appointment as Cardinal will undoubtedly reinforce the Church’s response and its social action mission here in England and Wales.
“During the past week Archbishop Nichols has been outspoken on the erosion of the welfare safety net, re-asserting his message to CSAN’s Conference ‘the Catholic Response to the Poverty Crisis’ last year, when he told politicians, charity representatives and clergy that:
“’Support should be available to ensure that the absence of earned income does not result in unsustainable hardship. A social safety net that fails to protect essentials such as food and shelter for those who cannot work, is not worthy of being regarded as a safety net at all.”
During that conference he also stressed the importance of the Living Wage as a mechanism for tackling in-work poverty, stating:
“More than five million workers bring home an income insufficient to cover basic outgoings and the significant majority of child poverty exists in working households…this lays down a challenge not only to the state but to the private and social sector – indeed to all those upon whom people depend for their livelihood. The Church itself is no exception.”
Negative rhetoric around immigration is another area of concern to the new Cardinal, who this week said:
“I think we really should have a positive appreciation of the contribution that people who come to this country make to our well-being and economy…we should not have a discourse about immigration which is based on fear.”
CSAN is the official domestic social action agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. CSAN comprises over 40 Catholic Charities who work with homeless people, children and families living in poverty, refugees and older people. For more information, please visit CSAN’s website www.csan.org.uk or call 020 7633 4970
The Most Reverend, Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster delivered the keynote speech to CSAN’s Conference The Catholic Response to the Poverty Crisis at St. Mary’s University College on 13 June 2013: his full speech can be read here
The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, commented on the political approach to immigration during a press conference at Archbishop’s House (Westminster) on 18 February 2014.
In November 2012 the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales passed a resolution on the Living Wage stating:
“The Bishops’ Conference recognises that fair wages are essential to the common good of our society. In accordance with Catholic social teaching, and as part of its mission to support the poor and vulnerable, the Bishops’ Conference fully endorses the principle of the Living Wage and encourages Catholic organisations and charities in England and Wales to work towards its implementation.” The Bishops’ Conference Secretariat, CSAN, CAFOD and the Catholic Education Service are accredited Living Wage Employers.”
