Rite and Reason: The best way to guarantee peace is to give people hope. This was the message of the international delegation of Catholic bishops who met British chancellor Gordon Brown recently in London. Governments must have the support of thepeople if aid commitments are to be met and poverty is to be made history,writes Archbishop Seán Brady
I was privileged to be part of that delegation. The white wristband presented to me by the Catholic aid organisations that organised the event, including Trócaire, is now a daily part of my dress code. The words on it loom large, not only on my arm, but also on my conscience: Keep our Word. Make poverty History!
We wanted to appeal to Gordon Brown to give an urgent and compelling message to the major industrialised countries of the G8 at the summit to be held in Gleneagles this July: "Every day 24,000 people die of hunger. Help us to end this scandal! 2005 presents you with a historic opportunity to do so."
In 2000 the 191 member states of the United Nations, including Ireland, pledged themselves to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. This year, the 10-year countdown towards reaching those millennium development goals begins. Let us keep our promises.
I was impressed at the keen interest shown by Gordon Brown during our conversation. His answers to the questions of the African bishops indicated a detailed grasp of the issues and a strong personal sympathy for the plight of the poor. It was clear that this was a man who understood the life-and-death nature of debt and trade for so many millions of our sisters and brothers across the world.
He paid particular attention to Archbishop Mazombwe of Lusaka, who explained that in Zambia the cost of servicing the international debt was more than was spent on health and education combined. This was in spite of the fact that the amount of the original loan had been paid several times over.
This is the so-called "debt spiral" into which so many countries in the developing world are locked. The G8 and other developed countries, such as Ireland, have the power to unlock that spiral. It now looks as if they may make some progress under the latest agreement between the US and Britain.
By ensuring that the flows of international finance are directed to the benefit of developing countries, we can finally make the financial resources available to eradicate poverty. By doubling aid and improving aid quality, by cancelling debt and by creating fair trade structures, allowing developing countries to protect their farmers, we can liberate millions of our sisters and brothers across the world from the spiral of debt and economic debilitation.
We can set them free to enjoy an unprecedented opportunity to compete on fair terms, to enjoy their fair share of the ample resources of the world.
Yet experience shows that for governments to act, they need to be sure that the people who elect them support such decisions. So the campaign to make poverty history demands something from all of us. It asks us to empower our political representatives to move beyond the self-interest that distorts our global economy, and to create a new era of genuine partnership with people in the developing world.
It asks us to call for the changes to world structures that will assure others of their basic right to food, clean water, education and healthcare. This in turn requires a determination to keep our promises, to encourage and empower the Irish Government to meet its commitment to increase our aid to 0.7 per cent of GNP and to help achieve the millennium development goals.
This is not a matter of charity, still less of our characteristic Irish generosity. It is the simple demand of justice and it cries out to God for our response.
As we left the meeting with Gordon Brown to celebrate the Mass of Corpus Christi at Westminster Cathedral, I could not help but be mindful of the words with which Pope John Paul II had initiated this year of the Eucharist: "The Eucharist is not merely an expression of communion in the church's life; it is also a project of solidarity for all of humanity."
This eucharistic project of solidarity is outlined in detail in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, to be launched today by the Irish Bishops' Conference. Drawing together the various strands of the church's social teaching, it speaks of the "civilisation of love" which is God's plan for the world. At the heart of this plan is the universal destination of the goods of the earth and the preferential option for the poor.
As the leaders of the G8 prepare for their summit in Gleneagles, it is my hope that the publication of the Compendium will help to generate a timely and vital discussion on the constant call of the scriptures for solidarity with the poor and a more just and peaceful world.
As the Compendium points out: "The happy results we all long for, will be chiefly brought about by the generous outpouring of charity; of that true Christian love which is the fulfilling of the whole Gospel, which is always ready to sacrifice itself for the sake of others."
Archbishop Seán Brady is Catholic Primate of All Ireland