World Bishops Lobby Blair

Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops from across the globe – including Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Scotland accompanied by Paul Chitnis, Chief Executive of SCIAF (Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund) and Chair of CIDSE - told British Prime Minister Tony Blair that the G8 must act faster and go further on the promises made at Gleneagles.

Despite the pledges made in 2005 to double aid to Africa and increase global aid by $50bn by the year 2010, several leading nations – USA, Italy and Japan – actually gave less in aid last year, OECD figures show. The eight leading church figures – also including Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster; Archbishop Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria; and Archbishop Monsengwo of Kisangani, DRC – are therefore bringing their moral weight to the anti-poverty campaign. They will be touring several countries, including delegation meetings with Tony Blair and the Rt Hon Stephen Timms in the UK; President Horst Kohler and Peer Steinbruck, Minister of Finance, in Germany; Prime Minister Romano Prodi in Italy, before ending with a meeting at the Vatican with Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Tarciso Bertone.

During their meeting, the Bishops called on Prime Minister Tony Blair to exercise leadership at the forthcoming G8. Chairman of the group, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, said Britain could “set an example.” Tony Blair said that Britain was meeting its G8 obligations. “We made certain promises. We should keep them,” he said. “I think the basic agreement at the heart of the Gleneagles summit was one of partnership between African countries and the developing world. We have certain obligations and the African countries have certain obligations.” He said the church leaders should: “hold both parties to the agreement.”

Cardinal O’Brien of Scotland highlighted the massive gap between “the proportions of expenditure on weaponry compared to the proportion on the poor.” Paul Chitnis, Chief Executive of SCIAF (Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund) and Chair of CIDSE, the international network of Catholic development organisations, says today: “While we welcome the leadership the UK Government has taken within the G8, it is becoming clear that the good intentions need additional effort if they are to become reality. We call upon the UK Government to support the German Chair of the G8 (in June) in showing leadership. At Gleneagles the G8 set out the ends – now they must will the means, and set clear targets and commitments to keep their promises to the poor.”

The Bishops raised deep concern about the G8 nations counting debt-relief as aid - often no more than a paper transaction that contributes no new resources for poverty reduction. After the meeting, Archbishop Onaiyekan said it was significant that Mr. Blair had personally met and listened to Catholic Church leaders. “The fact that we came here together, from different countries, was influential,” he says.

As well as SCIAF’s Chief Executive, Paul Chitnis, the Bishops were accompanied in the meeting by Chris Bain, Director of CAFOD; Christiane Overkamp, Secretary General of CIDSE; Dr Josef Sayer, Director of Misereor; and Ms Charity Musamba of Jubilee Zambia.

The Catholic aid agency CAFOD has organised the UK leg of the Bishops’ tour, which echoes a 2005 event in which Catholic church leaders met with leading German and British leaders – including Angela Merkel. This time the Catholic Bishops will be lobbying national leaders in London, Berlin and Rome, to get the G8 to deliver on their promises to Make Poverty History. They will end their tour with a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.

The tour is part of an international Catholic campaign - “The World Can’t Wait: Make Aid Work”. It is calling on governments across the world to increase aid and ensure it is used effectively to target poverty. The campaign is organised by the two international networks of Catholic development organizations – CIDSE and CARITAS Internationalis.

For further information or interview opportunities, please contact Gillian Sandford, Campaigns Press Officer at CAFOD on gsandford@cafod.org.uk Tel: 0207 095 5541 or Mobile 07785 950585. For SCIAF and Paul Chitnis, please contact Richard Saville-Smith on 0131 346 8007; or 07909 527629.

A full text of the statement given by the Bishops to Mr. Blair is available from the CAFOD Press Office.

The full list of those who met Prime Minister Blair is:

1. Archbishop Concessao, Arcbishop of New Delhi 2. Archbishop Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja and former President of the Nigerian Bishops Conference 3. Archbishop Monsengwo, Archbishop of Kisengani, Democratic Republic of Congo 4. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (chair), Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales 5. Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien, Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland 6. Bishop Stenger, Bishop of Troyes, France 7. Bishop Miglio, Bishop of Ivrea, Italy 8. Bishop Dewane, Bishop of Venice, Florida

They were accompanied by:

Chris Bain (Director, CAFOD); Paul Chitnis (Director, SCIAF & Chair of CIDSE); Christiane Overkamp (Secretary General of CIDSE); Dr Josef Sayer (Director, Misereor, Germany); Dr Georg Stoll (Head of Policy, Misereor); Ms Charity Musamba (Jubilee Zambia); George Gelber (Head of Public Policy, CAFOD)

The tour includes delegation meetings with:

UK: Prime Minister Tony Blair, Rt Hon Stephen Timms

Germany: President Horst Kohler, Peer Steinbruck, Minister of Finance

Italy: Prime Minister Romano Prodi

Vatican: Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Tarciso Bertone

To take action ahead of the G8, the UK public can join CAFOD, and other UK campaigning groups by visiting www.yourvoiceagainstpoverty.org.uk and joining “The World Can’t Wait” rally in London on 2 June 2007.

Read a statement from the Bishop's Delegation