“It is not sufficient for the government, in its localism programme, simply to step back from social need and say this is a local issue.

“A government cannot simply cut expenditure, wash its hands of expenditure and expect that the slack will be taken up by greater voluntary activity.

“The poorest are taking the biggest hit while at the same time you see huge bank bonuses and profits, and this is not right.”

Catholic archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster criticising the direction of UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s Big Society programme.

Violence against Pakistani Christians continues unabated

Violence against Christians flared again in a town in Punjab, Pakistan, where Islamic zealots disputed a Palm Sunday service.

When Christians protested the assault, police arrested 12 Christians.

Earlier this month, Arif Masih, who is a Christian, had been arrested on blasphemy charges.

Many people took to the witness stand to say Masih had been falsely accused, and he was set free.

However, Masih remains in danger from Islamic extremists; both he and his family are currently in hiding.

President ready for excommunication

President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines has announced he is prepared to risk excommunication over a family planning Bill that the country’s bishops have condemned.

“I must listen to my conscience and do what is right,” Aquino said in an address to university students. He said he felt duty-bound to continue pushing for the acceptance of the family planning legislation even “at risk of excommunication”.

The Catholic bishops of the Philippines have on several occasions tried to persuade the President to abandon his proposed legislation but have not threatened excommunication. The law would allow condom distribution campaigns, and, in the bishops’ view, would seriously damage conscience protection for health care workers.

Osservatore Romano daily edition now available online

Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, in its Italian daily edition, can now be viewed online.

Subscriptions will be available for readers who want to have complete access to the online version. There will soon be translations into other languages, beginning with English.

L’Osservatore Romano has been published since 1861; the first issue had four pages. In 1885 Pope Leo XIII made it an organ of information for the Holy See.

Abandon nuclear arms, urges cardinal

Addressing an anti-nuclear rally at a submarine base, Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien urged the UK government to abandon nuclear weapons.

He said: “The consistent message of the Catholic Church was summed up by Pope Benedict in his first message for World Day for Peace, in 2006: ‘This point of view, that nuclear weapons have any place in a civilised society, is not only baneful but also completely fallacious.

“In a nuclear war there would be no victors, only victims. The truth of peace requires that all agree to change their course by clear, firm decisions, and strive for progressive, concerted nuclear disarmament.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)