more about livesimply

livesimply: A call for true progress, not just economic growth

The idea that God calls us to live simply is radical, and in direct contrast to what Western society demands of us - to earn more and more in order to consume on an ever grander scale.

The livesimply project, which will run at least until April 2009, takes up that radical idea. It calls on us to look hard at our lifestyles, and to choose to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor.

Living simply in this sense is not just about money: many people, both in our own country and of course in the developing world, are forced to live very simple lives due to their economic circumstances. Instead, this is a challenge to reflect, celebrate and take action in order to work for justice, and to be happier in ourselves as a result. It's about identifying what we need rather than grasping for more - sharing rather than hoarding.

Lots of organisations within the Church in England and Wales have already signed up to livesimply, from the Pontifical Mission Societies to CAFOD, Justice & Peace and Catholic Charismatic Renewal, creating a new network determined to transform our communities.

The inspiration behind livesimply comes from a prophetic document, written by Pope Paul VI. It lays out the social teaching of the Church in face of the growing poverty and injustice of the developing world. "On the Development of Peoples" (Populorum Progressio) is a clarion call for us to live a new kind of life, in a spirit of solidarity with the community, motivated by faith.

"God intended the earth and everything in it for the use of all human beings and peoples" states the encyclical, an assertion as politically challenging today as it was four decades ago when it was written, in 1967. Some of its messages can be very hard for us to hear, even as charitable and well-meaning individuals. How does this statement from St Ambrose make us feel, for example?

"You are not making a gift of what is yours to the poor, but you are giving back what is theirs... You have been appropriating things that are meant to be for the common use of everyone."

The livesimply project aims to bring such vital moral reflections to life in the Church today. In 1967, Pope Paul VI looked at the great challenges of the age and what the Church should be doing about them. It is urgent for us to do the same for our own times.

Many of us were part of the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY campaign, which challenged the structural injustices that keep people in poverty. As a next step, livesimply looks at our personal responsibility for creating transformation and change, both in ourselves and in the world. By living simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor, we can help create a world in which human dignity is respected and everyone can reach their full potential. This would be true progress indeed, worth more than economic growth alone.

Harriet Paterson/CAFOD
4.7.06