Pope Decries Global Hunger

Pope Benedict XVI, on Sunday, lamented increasing global hunger saying “hundreds of millions of people particularly children worldwide are hungry.”

The Catholic Pontiff described it as “a scandal, which must be combated by changes in consumption and fairer distribution of resources.”

Speaking from his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Benedict said that more than 800 million people are undernourished and many of them including children die from hunger.

To underscore the urgency required to address the growing emergency, the papacy called for “efforts to eliminate the structural causes tied to the system of governing the world’s economy, which earmarks most of the planet’s resources to a minority of the earth’s population.”

Describing it as “injustice,” the Pope said “to make an impact on a large scale, it is necessary to convert the model of global development.”

Urging everyone to face the problem, he said “every person and every family can and must do something to alleviate hunger in the world, adopting a style of life and consumption compatible with safe guarding creation.”

“Not just the scandal of hunger demands it, but also the environmental and energy crises,” he insisted.

Read entire allAfrica.com article.

I myself am not a religious man. (See: A Monopoly On Philanthropy.) Nonetheless, I appreciate the Pope’s concerns and directives. Although the religious community already helps with this struggle, I hope the Pope’s proclamations help enliven the struggle to end world hunger and poverty.

What do you think?

Published by Scott Hughes

I am the author of Achieve Your Dreams. I also published the book Holding Fire: Short Stories of Self-Destruction. I have two kids who I love so much. I just want to be a good role model for them. I hope what I do here makes them proud of me. Please let me know you think about the post by leaving a comment below!

4 replies on “Pope Decries Global Hunger”

  1. Isn’t this what causes revolutions. A handful of corporations harness all the wealth for themselves. Our soldiers are fighting to enrich them even more. In the Us wages add up to slave labor. I work with many working poor now. Starve the people any more and we will have a major revolution here. Incidentally, I don’t shop at Walmart any more than I have to. I have to be needy first.

  2. Is the Pope courting communism and some brand of environmentalism?

    Good for him! I also hope his words get people to act.

    However, I can’t let him get away without a few lashes. I wonder what the cost is of the clothes and trappings of office the he was wearing when he spoke those virtuous words? I wonder if he could get Jebus or his dad to help out some? I wonder if he could explain to us why Jebus and his dad DON’T seem to be helping out with the problem?

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  4. More than 110 million school-aged children in the world’s poorest countries suffer from hunger. The vast majority of them do not attend school. This is an unnecessary and preventable tragedy.

    The George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program provides meals in schools to some of these children. But there are many more that go to bed hungry.

    Bipartisan legislation was recently introduced in Congress to expand the McGovern-Dole Program so that more children can attend school and be guaranteed at least one nutritious meal per day.

    Help expand the George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. Sign the petition.

    http://www.friendsofwfp.org/mcgovern-dolepetition

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