Bishop blasts 'shameful' poverty

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July 20, 2009

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Bishop Stephen Lowe

THE Bishop of Hulme has hit out at the `shameful open wound of poverty' which he says still blights Manchester.

Stephen Lowe said deprivation is still common despite massive regeneration projects and the transformation of the city centre.

The senior church leader, who retired last week after a decade in the post, said: "The levels of poverty and deprivation in north Manchester remain a shameful open wound on our city's life.

"Across Greater Manchester there is a great deal more that needs to be done to eliminate the canker of racism and to develop genuinely open dialogue and relationships between the different communities."

Bishop Lowe, who is a staunch anti-poverty campaigner, also criticised Manchester's new architecture, describing Beetham Tower as 'dreadful' and the city centre regeneration as only `moderately successful'.

He said: "Ten years in the history of the Diocese of Manchester and the cities of Manchester and Salford have seen physical transformation of an extraordinary scale.

"The aftermath of the IRA bomb has led to a moderately successful regeneration of Manchester city centre.

Shadow

"East Manchester, although not quite the promised land, is certainly renewed, and the dreadful Beetham Tower casts its shadow over the urban skyline."

The 47-floor Beetham Tower is England's tallest residential building and has won a string of local and national awards, but not everyone is a fan of its striking appearance.

Architect Ian Simpson, who lives in the tower's £3m penthouse, has previously defended the bold structure, saying: "It's something that many Mancunians take pride in."

For the past three years, Bishop Lowe, who turns 65 this year, has had a national role in addressing urban issues for the Church of England.

The position saw him travelling to inner-city areas and speaking out about violence, unemployment and poverty.

'Morally feeble'

Earlier this year, the bishop criticised the debt culture and attacked government attempts to revive the economy through spending as `morally suspect and morally feeble'.

On Sunday, he marked his retirement with a farewell service at Temple Church, Wythenshawe, where he was lauded by Archbishop of York John Sentamu.

Due to long-planned cuts, he will not be replaced as Bishop of Hulme and the Manchester diocese will have only two assistant bishops - known as suffragan bishops.

Bishop of Manchester Nigel McCulloch paid tribute to his colleague, saying: "He has been a lifeline of support and encouragement, especially to urban clergy and parishes, both within and beyond this diocese."

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Tezza, Tyldesley (20/07/2009 at 07:39)

THE Bishop of Hulme has hit out at the `shameful open wound of poverty'

But i bet that all the churches still send the collection plate around every sunday, If theres poverty then why take money off the poor every week?

morticia, worsley (20/07/2009 at 08:17)

I agree Tezza. He should be glad he has a job! About time all the churches, especially the Catholic, started giving to the poor and not taking from them! They have the gall to call themselves Christians, do not think Jesus wanted his teachings to be interpreted like this?

d1v1s1onby0, Wigan (20/07/2009 at 08:29)

HA!

He works for organisation that could buy Microsoft.
The Church could end this poverty, but instead carries on taking.

Perhaps the headline should read "Chubby Grinning Bishop advises "Let them eat cake""

chillbill, oldham (20/07/2009 at 08:52)

Maybe the Church Of England - who by the way own a very large amount of land etc- should sell some of their surplus land and give that to the impoverished.

Mark,Radcliffe. (20/07/2009 at 09:03)

Nice Robes and Religious bling...cost a bit did they ?

Blue Dude, Manchester. (20/07/2009 at 09:16)

Good Catholic / Lousy Christian.

Focus on the power of the Vatican and their rules of engagement and the papal doctrine (a 75 year old german bachelor who lives in isolated splendour covered in riches in rome) - Thats a good role model. The chuch and its obscene wealth and fail to look at their flock. Thats why the church and religion have great power in poor and undereducated countries. Look at Ireland, choking under the misery of the pulpit for all those years, finally they have shaken off the tyranny of the church, never have I witnessed a fall influence of the RC church in a country than ireland. Speaking to colleagues in Dublin, hear them say what has happened in Eire in the last 10 years...
Do something !

schgittor (20/07/2009 at 09:41)

The funny thing is, the very people the church take most money from is the poor.

Careless Whisper (20/07/2009 at 09:44)

Tezza: Stupid comment. If you bothered to attend church then you will find that you are not obliged to give anything to the collection plate. If you not got you can't give and not expected to.
If a rich man donated £100 to the church and a poor man donated his last £1. Tell me. Who has donated more?

Angie33 , Manchester (20/07/2009 at 09:56)

Who should speak up for the public in these matters.Who can say they have the knowledge of what ordinary people are concerned about.The word representative has become a minefield.I go on about a lot of things though I dont imagine I represent others.I have been in local groups where I have been called a rep.Nothing could be further from the truth.If Id been a true rep I would have turned a blind eye to everything that didnt affect me.I would have never considered challenging any authority,just patte them on the back and told them not to bother doing anything in my area because its a waste of time,and more recently and a relatively new one a waste of tax payers money.

Tezza, Tyldesley (20/07/2009 at 10:00)

Careless Whisper

I assume that you class yourself as a church going person and yet you use the word “stupid” to disagree with my comment, why not just say that was an incorrect comment?

And as you will see from the other comments on here today the majority of people think the same, and you say that you don’t have to put into the collection plate but surly just by the fact that it is being sent round makes people feel that they have to contribute or they will be judged by the very people who tell us not to judge. and i am afarid that that is human nature.

Ace , manchester (20/07/2009 at 10:59)

We shouldnt worry to Much we could all move to another country because we send alot to foreigin aid? we Should look inwards before we look everywhere else.I see our government sending aid to other nations while we still have problems in britain just like we send money to educate africa while our children are being educated in cold and damp schools .This will be another post censored no doubt.

Angie33 , Manchester (20/07/2009 at 11:34)

Am I one of those hyper sensitive types who dont like people being called childish names when they make a comment.I am aware people disagree with my opinion when they post their own very different opinion.If we called everyone stupid who we didnt agree with most people would be scared to offer an opinion on anything less they are insulted.There is some banter between people of different opinions.The best example is when people come in and call you stupid,or worse,and dont offer their opinion on the story.The cheek.Is it a male thing?Is this what the word TROLL means?Its used on lots of forums.

Ace , manchester (20/07/2009 at 12:14)

I like the word "Regeneration" But do we really know what that means in terms of people? We regenarate buildings but not the community and the people.We should have thought about regenerating the commuinity and the people who have lived in area for generations.Where i live we have families whos daugters get married and want to live near their mothers and fathers but get refused houses and flats. only across the way from me i have a family whos daughter wanted a house a few doors away from her parents when she got married but she was refused now she lives about two miles away,and travels daily to see her parents? I thought that we were trying to build communities not destroy them.

Angie33 , Manchester (20/07/2009 at 12:28)

I was at a conference re regeneration in Manchester.We split into groups to come up with our suggestions and ideas of what was important to us.My suggestions were-A sense of belonging and bottom up change.The facilitators,council employees all looked blank and after a moment ,not sure whether to allow it or not it went on the board.Both had to be explained.This explains why consultation is such a farce and people cant be bothered to attend these things.

Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (20/07/2009 at 12:31)

Ace...""We shouldnt worry to Much we could all move to another country because we send alot to foreign aid?""

There is a saying I love... foreign aid is "money given by poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries".

Mark,Radcliffe. (20/07/2009 at 12:36)

Careless Whisper..I assume your comment relates to the "Widow's Mite"...the paragon of the "widows mite" has managed to fund a belief system for xxxx years.Have you noticed that Religion makes for fantastic tourist themed locations...how many of those locations help aid poverty ?

Mark,Radcliffe. (20/07/2009 at 12:39)

Angie 33....look at the facilitors...not ready for change ?...not wanting change ? not ready to adapt to change ? unwilling to change ?..Its otherwise known as Manchester City Council the comfort zone.

Brock, Hulme (20/07/2009 at 12:44)

Alot of the problems in north manchester are due to the atitude of the people living there, some of these people have had a kind of depressing mental poverty for generations and you could regenerate the whole place but if left alone within a few years it would be back exactly the same. You need to deal with this attitude before anything will change.
North manchester needs to look to south manchester which in parts is just as poor but feels compleatly different more friendly and epcepting.

schgittor (20/07/2009 at 12:58)

There is a saying I love... foreign aid is "money given by poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries".
Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield
20/07/2009 at 12:31

Fantastic quote.

Ace , manchester (20/07/2009 at 13:05)

We need to spend some of that 8 million that MCC want to spend on a BMX bike arena on a few community centres around the area so that people can meet and give the people somewhere to talk because talking is what is missing in our communities.We have become islolated within ourselves we dont mix anymore weve islolated our elders from the younger people.And the same goes for asians and black people within our communities. "mix"is the answer.not isolation.And this is the way out of poverty.

Angie33 , Manchester (20/07/2009 at 13:07)

MCC has worked hard on its institutionalized bigotry with regard its own workers.Hence much of the hated PC.Walking the walk isnt enough in matters like regeneration of the city and its people.

Angie33 , Manchester (20/07/2009 at 13:15)

OOOPS.Should that have been talking the talk isnt enough?

PW, Manchester (20/07/2009 at 13:49)

Dare I say there is more poverty of the mind in such places? Do people starve, lack clothing or shelter? People do have the same chances as many others, but in such areas the attitude has always been anti-authority, anti-school, and the inherited aspirations are to live off the State. (Yes, there are exceptions who prove that wrong, and I was one of them). I was brought up in an area where work was largely viewed as a dirty word, and many people knew more about the benefits system than a Bishop knew the bible.

Actually knowing the mindset, I don't walk through such areas feeling pity. I feel angry that people allow themselves to live in squalor, and let their environment turn into a pig-sty and rubbish tip.I've been verbally attacked in one pub for reading a book while waiting for someone, for heaven's sake. They obviously must view me as a threat! Pour buckets of cash into such areas, and the pubs and betting shops will have a boom-time. Invest in facilities, and they will be attacked, plundered and vandalised. I know, because I once lived amongst it all, not as a sociologist who commutes to the leafy suburbs each evening, wringing his/her hands.

I'm now pleased to say I live in a pleasant area, which is largely inhabited by hard-working people of working-class who have made the best of the chances given to them. While there is a mix of owner-occupied and rented properties, they pick up litter and rubbish in their streets because they are proud, and will not allow their environments to deteriorate. They don't have poverty of the mind, you see.

nyb, ex manc (20/07/2009 at 14:01)

PW... a great post' "Poverty of Mind" first class description of an awful lot of people.

Just a little word of caution though, there are some good people trapped in the poverty cycle, through illness, lack of intelligence, etc, who genuinely need a boost up.

But overall your comments are pretty accurate for a substantial minority in these areas who drag everyone else down.

WO2 of 24 years (20/07/2009 at 14:05)

Good post 'PW'.

I have been to a few countries where genuine poverty to point of starvation exists!

Whats the British version of poverty? Not being able to afford the latest 'X Box' or 'Nike trainers'?

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