Archbishops tell banks saved by UK: It’s your turn to show mercy
THE CHURCH of England’s two most senior clerics have called on the banks bailed out by the nation after the 2008 financial crisis to be “equally merciful” to those whose livelihoods are threatened by the pandemic.
In a joint letter, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York said the Church had a vital role to play in offering hope and comfort to the nation as it faced an expected second wave of coronavirus.
Archbishops Justin Welby and Stephen Cottr ells et out a stark assessment of the challenges facing the country amid the pandemic, including hunger, homelessness, mental- health pressures and domestic violence.
But they said religious institutions were well placed, through networks and partnerships, to help those in most need – the hungry and homeless.
“Most of all we need to draw close to Christ and continue to offer the hope and stability of the
gospel,” the Archbishops write in a letter to the bishops of the Church of England.
“It is this gospel joy, even in the darkest times, that alone can help us through this crisis, bringing hope and an eternal perspective to the very pressing trials of the moment.”
The letter added that the country was now “in a situation which threatens the recovery from the huge decline in the economy in the second quarter”.
It said: “The most vulnerable to this second wave are the small companies who employ the most people and especially those in the hospitality industry.
“It will be for us and others to encourage the banks, who received such help in 2009, to be equally merciful to others as the nation was to them.”
A bank rescue package totalling some £ 500 billion was announced by the Government in October 2008 as a response to the global financial crisis.
The Archbishops say that despite efforts already made to protect the vulnerable “there will also be a sense of tiredness, the weariness which comes with dealing with yet another threat and difficulty.” They add: “To face this, we must continue to encourage one another and bear one another’s burdens.”