Mags Gargan“We compliment, support and enrich one another.”
Emphasising the important links between Catholic Social Teaching and development in the area of human rights, Bishop John McAreavey said that churches and human rights organisations have ‘common cause’ in working to address poverty and social inequality.
"There can sometimes be important differences in understanding and approach between churches and secular human rights organisations on certain issues, such as our understanding of the nature of marriage and the duty to protect the right to life from conception until natural death. ” he said. "This should not, however, cause us to lose sight of the fact that there are many issues on which we can make common cause. This is particularly the case in the areas of poverty and social inequality. Through what we bring from our respective fields of expertise and experience, we compliment, support and enrich one another."
Bishop McAreavey called for social policy, North and South, to reflect the generosity that has been evident in Irish local communities throughout the economic crisis of recent years.
Acknowledging that political leaders, North and South, recognise the contribution of churches to social justice, the bishop expressed concern that “that there can be an over-reliance on Churches to provide a safety net when people are failed by inadequate social welfare provision”.
“No one wants to see a situation where people are trapped in benefit dependency, but there must be adequate safeguards in place to ensure that people can achieve an acceptable standard of living, in which their basic human rights are protected," Bishop McAreavey said.
"A powerful illustration of urgent social need can be seen in the spread of food banks across this country, many of which have been established by churches and faith-based groups. The spirit of giving that inspires such initiatives is a powerful example of solidarity at work. The individuals and organisations who are running them are to be commended for taking action to address injustice. However I would want to stress that their existence is an indictment of our society; individuals and families should not have to rely on charity for food. Food banks cannot be allowed to become a long-term institution.”
Bishop McAreavey, who is Chair of the Council for Justice and Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference, was addressing the Conference of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Designate and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on the theme ‘A Human Rights Approach to Tackling Poverty and Social Inequality’.