UN food agency says they count on Catholics to do their work

Rome, Italy, May 29, 2007 / 09:08 am

The head of the United Nations World Food Program thanked the Pope and the Vatican for the ongoing support her agency has received from the Catholic Church.

“It is a great honor to express in person my gratitude to His Holiness for his invaluable support in favor of the world's hungry,” said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran. The Pope received Sheeran in a private audience on Monday.

“I hope that the already excellent collaborative work with the Catholic Church … can be strengthened further,” she said.

WFP works with a number of Catholic organizations, including Caritas Internationalis which, through its network of over 40 member organizations distributed 85,000 tons of food in 2006.

The partnerships the agency has include: the Jesuit Refugee Service in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the Community of St. Egidio in Colombia, and many other Catholic-inspired NGOs.

“The moral authority of the Holy Father and his appeals for peace, justice and security are highly encouraging for us. We know we can always count on the partnership and precious help of Catholics and Catholic organizations,” Sheeran was quoted as saying.