June 25, 2013 Martin Mallon (Ireland) Martin's previous articles
The
Saint Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) makes Christianity come alive. In our parish
they are visible with their collection boxes at Sunday Masses, but you rarely
hear or see them after that. Unless you need help. They are contacted by all
nationalities and religions and are available for all. Most workers are
volunteers. This Society is the last resort for many families; there is no other
option available and without the SVP many families and children would have to do
without, even when that means food.
The
Society’s Founder was Frederic Ozanam and the Bicentenary of his birth was
celebrated at the National Convention Centre in Dublin on Saturday, April 20. A
major speech was given by The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins and the
society’s magazine, The SVP Bulletin, Summer 2013 gives extracts from his
speech. The President said that:
Because
of the difficulties which Ireland had experienced, created when jobs were
centred, not on what was good or necessary for the citizenry....Ireland needed a
new connection between the economy, society and the person – one based on
ethics. The expertise of the SVP would be of immeasurable assistance and very
much needed in Ireland in the future, as it had been in the past.
Joan
Burton, the Minister for Social Protection also spoke and said:
She
believed that Ireland had reached the limits of austerity. In advanced nations
there was a limit beyond which they were not prepared to accept austerity and
Ireland had reached that.
Both
of these speeches were given a lot of attention by the Government and the Press.
According to the article the Minister then said that:
There
appeared to be an “inexplicable preference” for “loading” the costs of
the banking crisis on the shoulders of ordinary people and small business.
“The truth is that ordinary people everywhere have shouldered too much of the
burden,” she said.
The
last quote above should be obvious to everyone, but unfortunately this is not
seen to be the case by many governments.
We
then read that:
The
National President of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Geoff Meagher, again
Called
for a national debate on to the type of society we want in Ireland for the
future and a roadmap for recovery which will give hope to those in unemployment
and our young people, who continue to be forced to emigrate.
With
over 300,000 people emigrating in the last four years and over 40% of them young,
Geoff’s call should be taken up by everyone. Until the people start to call
for change and demonstrate, the status quo will continue.
As
mentioned in previous articles the Irish bishops and clergy should be leading
this call for change, to help the poor as advocated by Pope Francis. This would
show that the Institutional Church in Ireland is concerned with the welfare of
the poor.
Archbishop
Diarmuid Martin was the Chief Celebrant at the
Convention’s Mass. The article informs us that Martin:
Spoke
of the of the SVP in deprived areas of Dublin over many years, combating the
exploitation of people and said that civil society and the Church owe a great
debt of gratitude to the members of the Society of SVP “not just for what they
do, but for who they are and for the witness of disinterested self-giving love
they show day after day, week after week, as they follow the teaching of Jesus
Christ and as they emulate the person of Jesus in their lives. They show what
the Church is and how communion with each other must be the mark of those who
gather around the altar of communion. Those who are nourished through sharing in
the self-giving sacrifice of Jesus must be marked by a personal life of
self-giving”.
An
excellent homily and we must all try to be “marked by a personal life of
self-giving”. But Martin should have gone further and called for society and
the Government to wake-up to the damage that austerity is causing and to change
the country’s priorities to people rather than economics.
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