Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown met representatives of Caritas-social action, the social justice agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, in recent days, to lend his support to their “Short Straw” campaign for social justice. The campaign is intended to raise awareness of the needs of vulnerable older people, marginalised families and those with mental health problems. According to a press release issued by the Catholic Church, the Chancellor encouraged Caritas to keep up the good work and applauded the Catholic voluntary provision of services to those in need. “We are delighted to receive this support”, said the Director of Caritas-social action, Sarah Lindsell. “It is important we work together with the Government to ensure that families do not buckle under the many pressures they face today; that older people are not devalued and tossed on the scrap heap; and that those with mental health problems are neither stigmatized nor excluded”. We need she said to defeat the causes, and not just the symptoms of these injustices. “Catholic social teaching – said Philomena Cullon, policy co-ordinator of Caritas-social action – makes it part of the Church’s mission to transform our society by prioritising social justice. Our faith leaves us no alternative. We are called to stand on the side of those who are most excluded”. The campaign therefore calls on the Catholic community “to stand up for and with those who continually draw the short straw” in society. Caritas-social action, together with CAFOD, forms Caritas England and Wales, part of the Caritas internationalis federation.
