Nuns descend on Westminster in famine protest

Hundreds of nuns, priests and monks marched on parliament yesterday to protest at global hunger, ahead of next month’s G8 meeting in Northern Ireland.

Nuns, priests and supporters march through central London. Picture: AP

More than 250 members of religious orders and their supporters lobbied MPs to keep their promises on aid and prevent tax evasion to help end hunger worldwide.

The mass lobby was organised by the Catholic Agency For Overseas Development (CAFOD) as part of the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign.

Members attended a service at Westminster Central Hall before walking to parliament where they met MPs.

Pascale Palmer, a spokesperson for CAFOD, said 50 MPs and representatives had agreed to meet the protesters, including Labour leader Ed Miliband and Labour MP Glenda Jackson. Sister Laurentia Carroll, a Dominican sister from Rosary Priory in Hertfordshire, 71, 
said: “There’s enough food for everybody, but not everybody is getting food, and one out of every eight is dying from malnutrition or starvation.

“And the other thing is the big issue about the tax dodging that’s going on and there isn’t that honesty and truth. As an order we’re committed to truth in whatever shape it takes.”

Sister Pat Robb CJ, one of the lobby’s organisers, said in a CAFOD statement: “I believe that we are given gifts by God to share, not to use selfishly for ourselves.”