The spiritual head of the Anglican Communion, and the leader of the Church of England, speaks out for the poor, and for the rich to take on their fair share in the economic downturn, in his Christmas message.

The archbishop of Canterbury today said that the burden of the economic downturn should be “fairly shared”, amid fears that the less well-off in society were being hit the hardest.In his Christmas Day sermon, Dr Rowan Williams spoke of “a lasting sense the most prosperous have yet to shoulder their load”.

His comments might be seen to support the stance of trade unions and students who have claimed that, as the coalition government seeks to slash the national deficit, the less well-off are being penalised as a result of a recession caused by the folly of City bankers.Williams said: “Confidence isnt in huge supply at the moment, given the massive crises of trust that have shaken us all in the last couple of years and the lasting sense that the most prosperous have yet to shoulder their load.”

He called for a more equitable distribution of the burden being imposed on society if people are not to feel hard done by.

“Faced with the hardship that quite clearly lies ahead for so many in the wake of financial crisis and public spending cuts, how far are we able to sustain a living sense of loyalty to each other, a real willingness to bear the load together?” he said.”How eager are we to find some spot where we feel safe from the pressures that are crippling and terrifying others?

via Archbishop of Canterbury calls on rich to shoulder the load with the poor | UK news | guardian.co.uk.