The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, said today that the global credit crunch was a welcome "reality check" for Britain, in comments rejected by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Dr Williams also likened the government's 20-billion-pound economic stimulus plan to an "addict returning to the drug".
Asked by BBC Radio whether the international financial crisis and its impact on Britain were beneficial, Dr Williams replied: "It is a sort of a reality check, isn't it – which is always good for us.
"A reminder that what I think some people have called fairy gold is just that – that sooner or later you have to ask: 'What are we making or what are we assembling or accumulating wealth for?'"
Dr Williams, who acknowledged that he would likely come in for criticism for what he himself described as "suicidally silly" remarks, also said of the stimulus plan: "It seems a little bit like the addict returning to the drug."
He said Britain had been "going in the wrong direction" for decades and called on the government to give direction on "how the civil society is created".
"I want to ask where these moral questions are in the economic discourse," Dr Williams said.
Responding to Dr Williams, the prime minister said he supported the Anglican leader's comments about strengthening civil society and acting against irresponsible behaviour.
"But I think the archbishop would also agree with me that every time someone becomes unemployed or loses their home or a small business fails, it is our duty to act and we should not walk by on the other side when people are facing problems," he said.
"That's the reason why our fiscal policy is designed to give real help to families and businesses and to give them that help now."
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