As Brazil hosts the G20 summit, Pope Francis sent a letter to the Brazilian president asking for immediate joint efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty in the world.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis draws attention to the shameful phenomenon of world hunger. The problem of hunger is exacerbated by today’s armed conflicts and the huge sums of money spent on weapons instead of feeding the three billion people in the world who do not have access to food or adequate nutrition.
When Brazil hosted the G20 Summit from November 18 to 19, the Pope sent a letter to the host country, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the letter was read by Cardinal Parolin, Secretary of State of Sweden.
Contribute to a better world
In his letter, the Pope congratulated Brazil for hosting this summit as the rotating presidency of the G20. He expressed his blessings and expectations to all the participants, hoping that their discussions and outcomes would greatly contribute to building a better world and a successful future for the generations to come.
Eliminates the shameful thing of world hunger
The Pope emphasized that it is urgent to eradicate hunger in our world, because millions of people suffer from hunger and die as a result, while tons of food are thrown away go away. Quoting from his great book Fratelli Fratelli, the Pope says that “the problem of hunger is a real shame”, “Hunger is a crime” and “food is a right to unavoidable”.
Stop war and create lasting peace
The Pope pointed out that the main causes of these problems are long-standing war, conflict and injustice. It is important to find new ways “to achieve stable and lasting peace in all areas related to conflict, to restore the dignity of those affected”. The death and destruction caused by war also promotes hunger and poverty, even in places far removed from conflict, as supply chains break and large sums of money are spent on weapons.
Dealing with the tragedy of hunger
What is of great concern today is that the world has not yet solved the tragedy of the hungry. The society’s “silent acceptance” is a “shameful injustice and a real crime”, especially when some, through interest or greed, feed their brothers and sisters. This is “committing the sin of murder” (cf. Question of the Catholic Church, No. 2269). Therefore, the Pope stressed, we should “spare no effort to help people overcome poverty and hunger.”
Poverty creates a hunger crisis
Social and economic injustice fuels hunger. Poverty contributes to the vicious cycle of “economic and social inequality that permeates our global society.”
“Therefore it is clear that decisive and immediate action must be taken to eradicate the scourge of hunger and poverty. Such action must be a collective effort involving the entire international community .”
Effective measures “require a strong commitment from governments, international organizations and society as a whole”. These measures include access to basic goods, an equitable distribution of the necessities of life, and respect for “dignity human being given by God to each person”.
Fight food waste
In addition, the Pope encouraged everyone to work together to tackle the shameful issue of food waste. Even today, there is enough food to feed everyone, but for various reasons it is not evenly distributed. Efforts to address these challenges require “a long-term vision and strategy that will eliminate malnutrition.”
To this end, the Pope expressed his support for the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, saying that the Alliance can play a key role in fighting hunger and poverty and will help to ‘ the implementation of the long-standing appeal of the Holy Synod to “change the current currency. instead weapons and other military expenditures will be invested in a global fund to fight hunger and promote development in the poorest countries.”
Avoid “ideological colonization”
At the same time, the Pope also emphasized that the necessary projects should not be imposed from outside, but that they should be compiled and implemented in response to the needs of the people and their groups.
The Pope concluded by promising that the Holy See will continue to work to promote human dignity, to contribute its own efforts and to share the knowledge and participation of Catholic institutions around the world. share. In this way, “no one in our world, no one loved by God, will be deprived of his daily bread.”
Link URL: www.vaticannews.cn
#Pope #urges #G20 #decisive #action #world #hunger #Vatican #News
2024-11-19 10:13:00
Guest 1: Dr. Maria Garcia, Director of International Food Relief Organization
Question: What is your opinion on Pope Francis’s call for G20 leaders to tackle urgent and decisive action against world hunger and poverty? Do you think the G20 has the capacity and commitment to address these issues effectively?
Guest 2: Dr. Thomas Johnson, Political Analyst and Scholar of Catholic Church History
Question: The Pope’s letter emphasizes the role of conflicts and wars in exacerbating hunger and poverty. How should leaders balance addressing immediate needs with finding long-term solutions to prevent future crises? Can the fight against hunger be linked to peacebuilding efforts?
