Economy features in Easter sermons

Apr 12 2009

Church leaders will tackle the effects of the economic downturn in their Easter addresses.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will say that the financial crisis has shown that human fulfilment cannot be measured by material effects.

The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, urges people to avoid negative feelings and attitudes caused by the economic situation locally and globally.

Dr Williams will tell the congregation at Canterbury Cathedral: "The present financial crisis has dealt a heavy blow to the idea that human fulfilment can be thought about just in terms of material growth and possession."

In a discussion of people's fascination with the monastic life, he adds: "Accepting voluntary limitation to your acquisitiveness, your sexual appetite, your freedom of choice doesn't look so absurd after all as a path to some sort of stability and mutual care. We should be challenging ourselves and our Church to a new willingness to help this witness to flourish and develop."

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor is giving his last Easter homily at Westminster Cathedral, as he is retiring.

He will say: "I now have to move on to a new stage of my life as I go into retirement. I have, if you like, to die a little in order to follow the Will of the Lord and begin, perhaps, a new stage of living, a more abundant life.

"But it does mean that I have to let go of things that I have done for many, many years as a Bishop: of leadership, of pastoral care, of responsibilities, and so many other things, and reach out to begin again and follow what the Lord wants. Each in your own life has to die a little to the past.

"Sometimes we carry resentments, grudges, prejudices, hurts and angers - like security blankets in our lives. This may be particularly pertinent at the present time, when many people are feeling stress and anxiety due to the difficulties resulting from the economic situation locally and globally.

"But negative feelings and negative attitudes are bundles of death that stand in the way of life. Jesus said love was the greatest commandment, so it is because of Jesus's love that we are able to forgive and pass over things of the past and die to pride and selfishness and begin again a choice for life."