Rome, Italy, Feb 5, 2022 / 10:53 am
Money is not enough to solve the problems of society, Pope Francis said during a Feb. 5 audience in Rome with a delegation of Italian mayors.
“Sometimes people are under the illusion that adequate funding is enough to solve problems,” the pope said. “It is not true— in reality, we also need a plan for civil coexistence and citizenship: we need to invest in beauty where there is most degradation, in education where social unease reigns…in training for legality where corruption prevails.”
Francis said the coronavirus pandemic has illustrated this truth.
“The pandemic has brought to light so many frailties, but also the generosity of volunteers, neighbors, health workers and administrators who have gone out of their way to alleviate the suffering and loneliness of the poor and elderly,” he said. “This network of supportive relationships is a treasure that must be preserved and strengthened.”