A campaign to persuade Catholics and non-Catholics to live with greater simplicity was launched in England and Wales on Sunday 26 November, coinciding with the celebration of the day dedicated to youth. CAFOD, the Catholic charity for the developing world, Catholic Charismatic Renewal and the National Board of Catholic Women have jointly promoted the campaign, which is called “Live simply”, to mark the 40th anniversary of Paul VI’s encyclical “Populorum progressio”. The promoters of the event, which also has its own website (www.livesimply.org.uk), include the Bishop of Portsmouth Crispian Hollis and the Archbishop of Birmingham Vincent Nichols. In the months ahead those who support the campaign will be encouraged to consume less, gain greater awareness of the problems of pollution and live in greater solidarity with the poorest peoples in the world. A booklet published by CAFOD also suggests that participants should contribute to the campaign of the charity for fair trade, the cancellation of the debt of poor countries, and better conditions in the gold-mining industry, and should also encourage and purchase fair-trade products and ethical gifts such as school books for Asian or African children. In the new year, also with the aim of reaching out to non-Catholics, a so-called “Promise Bank” will be launched: a bank in which promises for a change in lifestyle can be deposited by Internet.
