Pope targets eliminating hunger as goal for Catholic Church
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Pope Benedict XVI

Rome, Italy, Nov 16, 2009 / 10:06 pm (CNA).- On Monday Pope Benedict XVI addressed a gathering at the World Summit on Food Security in Rome, calling hunger “the most cruel and concrete sign of poverty” and stating that “the Catholic Church will always be concerned for efforts to defeat hunger.”

Speaking at the United Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, the Pope addressed food production and the current state of the global economy.

“The international community is currently facing a grave economic and financial crisis. Statistics bear witness to the dramatic growth in the number of people suffering from hunger,” said the Pontiff. This situation is “made worse by the rise in price of foodstuffs, the reduction in economic resources available to the poorest peoples, and their limited access to markets and to food,” he lamented.

However, despite the grave statistics and the fretting of population control advocates, the Holy Father made reference to “the known fact that the world has enough food for all its inhabitants.”

“Indeed,” continued the Pope, “sufficient food is produced on a global scale to satisfy both current demands and those in the foreseeable future. From these data we may deduce that there is no cause-and-effect relationship between population growth and hunger, and this is further demonstrated by the lamentable destruction of foodstuffs for economic gain.” 

Pope Benedict also condemned “opulence” and “waste,” saying they are “no longer acceptable  when the tragedy of hunger is assuming ever greater proportions.”

Giving his answer to the current debacle, Pope Benedict turned to his recent encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate,” stating, “what is missing is a network of economic institutions capable of guaranteeing regular access to sufficient food and water.”

The Pope highlighted the need for impoverished countries to be given economic initiatives through international trade. “Once they have greater income at their disposal, these countries will be able to advance toward the self-sufficiency that leads to food security,” he said.

In concluding remarks, Pope Benedict said that “the Catholic Church will always be concerned for efforts to defeat hunger,” and that “the Church is committed to support, by word and deed, the action taken in solidarity - planned, responsible and regulated - to which all members of the international community are called to contribute.”

“The Church does not wish to interfere in political decisions: she respects the knowledge gained through scientific study, and decisions arrived at through reason responsibly enlightened by authentically human values, and she supports the effort to eliminate hunger,” the Holy Father said.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Enrique Woll
Lima, PERU 11/17/2009 07:02 PM EST
The Holy Father is correct about the need for planned responsible and regulated solidarity which would replace opulence and waste especially in the current widespread context of poverty, and extreme poverty. But this solidarity should not be one where only surplus and even unneeded resources are given away to the poor, especially through inefficient untimely means that also generate waste. The solidarity that is required of developed nations is akin to availing fishing rods to the poor, at low prices, and teaching them to fish. In my view, food and water are not sufficient to ensure human welfare, which will not be had without enjoyment of the full circle of goods and services by rich and poor alike, even if never in the same degree. Increased international trade will not solve the problem either. Given the extreme material differences between OECD nations (Northern Hemisphere) and non-OECD nations (Southern Hemisphere), this happy result can only be achieved through the institution of for-profit private-public development partnerships controlled by the private sector, but inclusive of multilateral and governmental development-related organizations, in a supporting role, for intensive North-South environmentally-friendly investments promotion. This is quite a mouthful, but I believe the concept would be doable if these organizations were designed for profit.
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Published by: Wendy Ckierski
Vernon, NY USA 11/17/2009 11:06 AM EST
The NEED for us all to DO something to help our HUNGRY brothers and sisters in Christ is addressed in Pope Benedict's recent encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate". We can not turn a blind eye when we know there are folks going hungry! Thanks to my Mom and Dad's work at a FoodBank, I know the hungry and I know the need! It breaks my heart that so many are apathetic. Our Apostolate instituted a FoodBank Outreach Program at the end of October.
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