ROME — The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales congratulated Liz Truss on her election as UK Prime Minister on Monday, while placing special emphasis on the country’s economic woes.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who is also the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, insisted in his statement that “the crisis in the cost of living” is prominent among the many crises to be faced, at home and across the world.
The economic downturn is having a dramatic impact on society, the cardinal said, with many people facing “choices between ‘heating or eating,’ especially as winter approaches.”
The affluence to which our society has become accustomed “seems to be seeping away,” Nichols stated.
As Breitbart News reported, inflation in the United Kingdom hit a 40-year high this summer, propelled by soaring food and fuel prices, fruit in part of Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine.
Cost of Living Crisis: UK Sees Double-Digit Inflation, Highest Level in 40 Yearshttps://t.co/iDnBfrbeZV
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) August 17, 2022
The biggest contributor to inflation and the consequent cost-of-living crisis is the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel, which rose by over 40 percent in the past year.
The Russian war on Ukraine has significantly impacted food and energy prices around the world, with disruptions of shipments of oil, natural gas, grain, and cooking oil.
“I, and my fellow bishops, recognise the complexity of the causes, both short and long-term, that bring about the crisis now affecting so many,” Cardinal Nichols said in Monday’s statement.
The cardinal urged Truss to pay special attention to the needs of the poorest in society, putting aside “factional interests.”
“Today our focus should be on the elderly, families who have the care of children, and all those least able to absorb the huge increases in the cost of living that we face,” Nichols said.
“Businesses too, especially small businesses, are facing acute challenges and will need help to survive,” the cardinal said, noting that their contribution to employment and family income is “crucial.”
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