Parliament in your Parish: Campaigning with CAFOD

Sunday 23rd May 2021

CAFOD in Salford have asked us to share the following message. There have been great examples of solidarity from parishes around our diocese. If you require further information, please contact salford@cafod.org.uk

“We don’t know what 2021 will reserve for us, but what all of us can do together is make a bit more effort to take care of each other.” Pope Francis

The coronavirus crisis has proved that we need greater cooperation between nations, solidarity between people and a greater focus on the poorest in society, as they struggle to cope with poverty, hunger and in many places, the impact of climate change.

As Catholics, we are called to not stay silent and not to be passive. And our voices are needed more than ever this year, as the UK hosts two major global events – the G7 Summit in June in Cornwall and the COP26 UN Climate Talks in Glasgow in November. The UK can have significant influence on these meetings as host, so we need to make sure our political leaders hear, now, that we want the world poorest people to be at the heart of these talks.

Two issues have the greatest potential to make a difference. Firstly, as poor countries struggle with the devastating effects of the pandemic, we want the crippling debt repayments that they continually make to richer nations and private banks to be cancelled to help them cope. Read more here.

Secondly, we want decisions taken to keep global temperature rises below the disastrous 1.5-degree threshold. Many of the world’s poorest countries are struggling to cope with the effects of climate change such as increased droughts, floods and cyclones. We must urge the Prime Minister to make sure communities hardest hit by the climate emergency are listened to at COP26.

CAFOD is inviting people to organise an online meeting with their MP to talk about these issues, perhaps as a small group from the parish. You don’t need to be an expert in the issues or in technology! Read more about it here. And please sign our petition here.

Referring to the COVID crisis, Pope Francis says, “If only this immense sorrow may not prove useless but enable us to take a step forward towards a new style of life.” Please join us.