Guatemala City, Guatemala, Jan 30, 2013 / 12:18 pm
The Bishops' Conference of Guatemala called on authorities to address the stark hunger and malnutrition facing thousands of children and rural workers in the country.
The current food crisis, affecting thousands of Guatemalans, "constitutes an affront to the dignity of all those who are suffering from it," the bishops said.
"This crisis, in the words of Pope Benedict XVI, 'is more serious than the financial crisis,'" they added, pointing especially to the many "boys and girls who are chronically malnourished."
The bishops discussed the food crisis in a statement released at the conclusion of their plenary assembly, held Jan. 21-25.