Bishop speaks out on poverty (From Salisbury Journal)

Bishop speaks out on poverty

9:02am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in Headlines

The Bishop of Salisbury, Nicholas Holtam, has spoken of his concern for the poor of the Diocese. “Tackling poverty ought always to be on the Church's agenda. This is especially true in what might be a 'triple dip recession'," he said.

"According to the Church Urban Fund, if you live in the poorest areas of England you are on average likely to die 26 years earlier than those living in the richest areas.”

“Our country as a whole has become more prosperous. We generate more wealth but distribute it increasingly unequally. The gap between richest and poorest is greater than it has been for over 30 years. During our years of growing prosperity, the vast majority of our increased wealth went to those who were already rich- while the poor actually became poorer. This is neither just nor sustainable.”

The Bishop is currently asking for feedback from his parishes on their main areas of engagement in local communities. The Let Us Talk consultation runs until the end of April.