Parish boycotts Chinese-made goods to protest repression, slave labor

Published: 2004-04-15

JONESBORO, Ark. (CNS) -- An Arkansas parish has taken a stand against religious repression and slave labor in China by electing to boycott religious articles made in that country. The idea of a boycott grew out of a social justice reading group headed by Deacon David England at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Jonesboro. The group meets occasionally to discuss the church's social teachings -- everything from papal encyclicals to liberation theology. "In discussing how we might move from study to action, one parishioner brought to my attention that our gift shop sold articles made in China, which is a notorious human rights abuser," Deacon England told the Arkansas Catholic, newspaper of the Little Rock Diocese. "Not only were we selling them, but we were also using in our parish these goods made in a country that has targeted the Catholic Church for severe repression."

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .