Bishops disturbed about increasing levels of poverty

Anglican Bishops in the Province of the West Indies have called on Governments of the region to put in place policies to bring about the social transformation necessary for the fight against poverty as a matter of urgency.{{more}}

In a statement issued after a meeting of the House of Bishops and the Standing Committee of the Church at Bamford House, Barbados, last week, the Bishops said that they have “taken note of the disturbing trend of an increasing number of people of the Caribbean who are afflicted by the scourge of poverty and its dehumanizing effect on them with the consequent undermining of their sense of dignity and worth.”

The Bishops said that they have also taken note of a worsening global situation in which the prices of petroleum products and basic food items and other goods and services are skyrocketing and are creating undue hardships for people everywhere, including the people of the Caribbean. These developments, the Bishops say, if not alleviated, “will continue to sow the seeds of social discontent and civil unrest.”

The Bishops say that they have, therefore, committed themselves to pursuing practical ways of alleviating the impact of the current situation on the most vulnerable in their congregations. They are also calling on their members to develop skills training programmes, assist with self-employment efforts, develop literacy programmes and collaborate with agencies and organizations involved in the alleviation of poverty, among other things.

The Bishops have also assured of their prayers and support as they “collaborate in confronting and working through these most challenging times in the life of the peoples of our Region”.