CHURCH AND ECONOMIC CRISIS
Austria: “dominant excessiveness”An “inner crisis”: these were the words used by Msgr. Alois Schwarz, bishop of Carinthia, on May 3 to describe the current economic and financial crisis. “The economy is not ill, but rather the people who are responsible for it,” he declared during a roundtable on possible solutions to the economic crisis, organized by Azione Cattolica and Caritas in the dioceses of Gurk. Msgr. Schwarz also criticized the current “dominant excessiveness”, he defined as “an illness of the soul”. According to Franz Küberl, President of Caritas Austria, the financial crisis is mainly a “trust crisis”, because people have been betrayed and now must be won back. Küberl added that it has been a “terrible attack against democracy”. For the President of Caritas in Austria people must” clearly speak of accountability and causes.” “Only real work is able to create wellbeing and prosperity for all”, Küberl noted and that apart from the crisis many other challenges must be addressed such as migration or free access to water, healthcare and schooling for all. Hopefully the crisis can help spur new feeling of solidarity, sharing and common values”, he concluded. Also the bishop of St. Pölten, msgr. Klaus Küng, marked that “prevailing egoism” is one of the main causes of the global economic-financial crisis. “I have the impression that many people think that after the crisis things will go on as usual. We are however undergoing highly destructive moments in free market economy”, the bishop warned, hoping “that each one takes the responsibility also towards others.” Among the participants, Andrei Gjecaj, federal secretary of Christliche Gewerkschafter (Christian trade union federation ), who suggested adopting a new solidarity-based mind-set. Portugal: reinventing solidarity Concerned about the current national and world crisis, the Portuguese Episcopal Conference decided to promote a symposium to call on society, and all the citizens to commit in a broader and deeper consideration on the future of solidarity and today’s development model. During the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Christ-king Sanctuary (Almada), the conference titled “Reinventing Solidarity (in a time of crisis)”, will be held on May 15, at the Conference centre in Lisbon. The conference program can be accessed through the web page www.reinventarasolidariedae.org. More than finding overall solutions, it is focused on tackling ideas, initiatives that can help build a more human and sympathetic model”. “The urgency in finding a new type of economy, compatible and sympathetic towards mankind, nature, culture and scientific knowledge”; a solidarity that is no longer intended as a vague feeling of compassion or shallow emotion toward those who have problems, but as a strong commitment for the common good”. “Part of the current crisis goes through the need to enliven a feeling of community, capable of mobilizing all types of participation in human society. There is no room for national, European or world citizenry until each one of us is involved in a sympathetic way in the life of our neighbourhoods, parishes and schools” the program highlights. Germany: on-line help for the indebted Starting from May 4 the German Caritas offers help to people with debts. The announcement was made in Berlin by Caritas that wants to address the growing requests and waiting lists. It is now possible to get anonymously information through e-mail. The free service guarantees rapid response time and is specifically designed for youngsters, to avoid excessive indebtedness and integrate local counselling services. The web site includes a FAQ list with addresses of the Caritas area offices- approximately 270 throughout the entire territory, and information on other problems (such as drug addictions). According to Caritas figures, people who live in situations of material, mental and social emergency due to excessive debts has soared meaningfully in the last years. Currently in Germany one family out of twelve is in this situation. Almost three million families aren’t able to pay back their debts with their income. Caritas excepts the situation to worsen due to the growing number of jobless caused by the financial crisis.
