Archbishop of Armagh’s Presidential Address at General Synod 2010
Archbishop of Armagh’s Presidential Address at General Synod 2010 in Dublin: Priority of Mission in the Church and a Call for Responsible Banking.
The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Revd Alan Harper, OBE, opened the 2010 General Synod with his presidential address on Thursday 6 May. The General Synod is taking place in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin - the first time that a modern Synod will take place within a Cathedral building. The Archbishop’s address focused on the need for the Church to be ‘a mission shaped church’ and to organize itself to reflect mission priorities, and on the impact of the recession on people across Ireland.
He said that, ‘The role of the Church, in good times and in bad, is to stand alongside those who are finding it hardest to cope, whatever their circumstances; to exhibit in practical and personal ways the loving concern of God for all people but especially for the vulnerable; and to be a beacon of hope ... We have to shape our life and institutions at all levels to reflect these priorities. We need to be less concerned about defending the institution and more concerned about enhancing the lives of people.’
Turning to the impact of the global recession, he said, ‘The effects of the restriction in bank lending have been disastrous for small and medium d businesses, especially in the construction sector, and, consequently, for those made unemployed as businesses contract.’ He continued, ‘We require a reassertion of the key understanding that the first obligation of the retail banks is to the customer and that the true interests of shareholders are best served by implementing customer satisfaction. Part of that banking obligation to the customer involves ensuring that credit is available to keep business alive for, without business, wealth creation ceases and employment collapses. … We need them [banks] to act morally, consistently and responsibly for the greater good of society. We need to be able to trust them, including trusting in their objectivity and reliability. That kind of banking may be dull; it may not have the potential for massive trading highs and lows, and the bonuses that go with them, but nor does it have the capacity to destroy the lives of ordinary people when gambles do not pay off.’
Archbishop Harper concluded by saying, ‘We cannot allow hard working people to be driven to the point of suicide by institutions parts of which those same desperate and distraught people actually own … We require a completely new banking morality that takes full account of the social obligations of financial institutions and that insulates ordinary people and businesses from exposure to the risks of investment banking.’
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ENDS