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.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here