Current Campaign: 

Currently, we are campaigning for amendments to the Welfare Reform Bill. Read Mark Wiggin’s response to the bill here news article.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford is the local branch of Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) in England and Wales. CSAN is in turn part of Caritas Europa which is in turn part of Caritas Internationalis. We are a small part of a global charity that is constantly campaigning for equality and justice.

As part of CSAN, we respond to Government consultations, brief and meet with Parliamentarians, organise lobbying activities and work closely with civil servants through all stages of the policy making process. We concentrate on specific work areas so we can be more effective in our campaigning and influencing. We use the expertise and knowledge of Caritas service staff and users, volunteers and Caritas Social Action Network to campaign for a better and fairer society where everyone is valued and everybody’s dignity is respected from children to the elderly and from those who have love and security to those who feel unloved and isolated.  

We campaign on the basis of what works and what matters, for today’s people and tomorrows citizens throughout the region. Together we can give vulnerable and disadvantaged people throughout the region the chance of a better life. In particular, we campaign for Social Justice, as an unequal society negatively affects the most poor and vulnerable.

The preferential option for the poor

From the standpoint of the social gospel, how society treats the poor is the basis for measuring justice. Therefore all social, political and economic action should be judged by the extent to which it concerns, benefits and empowers the poor.

A just society enables people to recognise their individual talents, to develop them, to use them for themselves and for others and to participate actively in society. Where poverty denies people the ability to be fully part of our society this is an offense to human dignity. Therefore, wherever there is poverty, the church must be committed to a “preferential option for the poor”.

A just participation

A just society is capable of supporting its people, empowering them in the use of their individual talents and abilities and to be as self-sufficient as possible in earning their own living while being supportive of others.

Participation in society is fundamental as it brings people into contact with each other and allows for the recognition, interaction and mutual respect of diverse and different peoples, beliefs, cultures and abilities.

By making links and connecting with different people we also learn to appreciate and understand that we are all connected, inter-dependent and reliant on each other. Where unfair divisions exist such as unemployment, low incomes or poor housing these working and living conditions challenge us to be our one community. Marginalisation is a form of poverty in itself that can best be countered by being in solidarity with our neighbour. 

Wealth and justice - the social responsibility of rich people

Over recent years, our society has faced a growing gap between the rich and the poor. Churches are very concerned about the tendency of some of their prosperous members to disengage from being in solidarity with the poor. As Christians, we believe in the responsibility of the rich and of all people in sharing wealth fairly to create an inclusive society.