Washington D.C., Sep 30, 2008 / 03:36 am
William Murphy, Bishop of Rockville Centre and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, has written to U.S. political leaders and the Secretary of the Treasury asking that the Bush administration and Congress make a moral response to the financial crisis.
“The economic crisis facing our nation is both terribly disturbing and enormously complicated,” Bishop Murphy wrote in his September 26 letter. “I write to offer the prayers of the U.S. Catholic Bishops and express the concerns of our Conference as you face difficult choices on how to limit the damage and move forward with prudence and justice.”
While saying that the bishops do not bring “technical expertise,” the bishop explained, “we believe our faith and moral principles can help guide the search for just and effective responses to the economic turmoil threatening our people.”
Bishop Murphy urged that the “enormous human impact” of the crisis be at the center of the debate over the response plan. People are losing their jobs, their benefits, and even their homes while some people risk losing their life savings.