Religion division broke out for English Big Society

The idea of Big Society does not convince the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. In an article written for the Labour newspaper New Statesman ), indeed, the Archbishop simply “excommunicates” the economic policy adopted by Prime Minister David Cameron. According to Williams, behind Cameron’s fascinating slogans (such as “power to people” or “the biggest, most dramatic redistribution of power from elites in Whitehall to the man and woman on the street”) there would be a number of cuts to social services and hasty reforms such as those regarding education and healthcare.  The Archbishop wonders how civil society organisations will be able to manage public services and how Government will define the minimum levels needed for such a management.

At the end of March, in a meeting held in the Diocese of Blackburn entitled “Have you found or lost faith in Big Society?”, Sayeeda Warsi, Minister and Vice President of Conservative Party, made her “statement of belief” in Government’s economic plan. On that occasion, Warsi lent a helping hand to voluntary religious organisations and hoped for a cooperation among faith-based groups in order to build Big Society. The same happened in April when Warsi was invited to participate in an Episcopal Conference organised after the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in Britain and entitled “Building a new Culture of Social Responsibility”. It is impossible not to notice that British catholic world is facing the challenge of Big Society in a much more positive way. Undoubtedly, this is due to the encyclical letter written by the Pope, Caritas in Veritate. In the letter there are, indeed, many references to alternative models of economy: “The exclusively binary model of market-plus-State is corrosive of society, while economic forms based on solidarity, which find their natural home in civil society without being restricted to it, build up society.” While writing this important document, the Pope counted on the collaboration of Stefano Zamagni, well-known economist and president of the Agenzia Italiana per il Terzo Settore (Italian Agency for Third Sector) who, in many speeches and papers, recalls that in the Middle Age, the Church organised the first forms of Welfare state. The Prime Minister himself, in a speech addressed to the Pope at the end of his visit in Britain, said that his government intends to create a culture of greater social responsibility and that in this process the role of believers is fundamental.

In this difficult historical moment, all European Governments are obliged to drastically reduce social expenditure and British Government is not an exception. Nevertheless, the proposals made by Cameron to civil society should not be considered less interesting. The Archbishop of Canterbury can criticise the cuts made by Government, but he should also indicate the role that charitable Christian-based organisations may play in this important challenge. He may, for instance, reply to the Guardian which, in a caustic article, has declared: “Faith-based groups are too often just state welfare by another name”.