Vatican City, 11 June 2015 (VIS) – The right to food, the problem of waste, the impact of the market on hunger, the primacy of agricultural development, water issues, land grabbing, and dependence on external aid were the central themes of the address given this morning by Pope Francis to the 450 participants at the 39th Conference of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), whom he received in audience in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace.
“ Faced with the poverty of many of our brothers and sisters,” said the Pope, “sometimes I think that the issue of hunger and agricultural development has now become one of the many problems in this time of crisis. … Our tendency to ‘defect’ when faced with difficult issues is human,” but “we must respond to the imperative of access to necessary food is a right for all. Human rights permit no exclusions. Certainly, we can take comfort knowing that the number of hungry persons in 1992, 1.2 million, has been reduced even though the world population has grown. However, there is little point to noting the numbers or even projecting a series of concrete commitments and recommendations to be implemented in policies and investments if we neglect the obligation to ‘eradicate hunger and prevent all forms of malnutrition in the world’.”
“ Many are worried about statistics regarding waste: a third of food produced is included under this point,” observed the pontiff. “ Reducing waste is essential, as is reflection on the non-alimentary use of agricultural products, which go in large amounts to animal feed or to produce biofuels. Certainly we must ensure increasingly healthy environmental conditions, but can we keep excluding some?It is necessary to raise the awareness of all countries regarding the type of nutrition adopted, and this varies depending on the latitudes. … But, both in quality and quantity, the situation of uncertainty determined by the weather, by increased demand, and price uncertainty weigh down the situation.”
“ We must also ask ourselves: How much does the market, with its rules, impact world hunger? Of the studies you have made, it has been shown that, since 2008, the price of food has changed trends. It doubled, then stabilized, but with higher values than the previous period. Such volatile prices impede the poorest from making plans or keeping a minimum nutrition. The causes are many. We are rightly concerned with climate change but we cannot forget financial speculation. An example is the prices of wheat, rice, corn, soy, … sometimes linked to performance funds and therefore, the higher the price the more the fund earns. Here as well, we must take another path, convincing ourselves that the products of the land have a value that we can all ‘sacred’ because they are the fruit of the daily labor of persons, families, and communities of farmers.”
“ The purpose of the FAO includes the working of the land, fisheries, livestock, forests,” recalled Pope Francis. “This development must be at the center of economic activity …this means supporting effective resilience, specifically reinforcing communities’ capacities to cope with crises ― natural ones or those caused by human action ―and paying attention to the different needs. Thus it will be possible to pursue a decent standard of living. This commitment includes other critical points. First, it seems difficult to accept the general resignation, disinterest, and even absence of so many, even of states. A times there is the sense that hunger is an unpopular topic, an insoluble problem that can’t be dealt with in a legislative or presidential term and therefore can’t guarantee consensus. The reasons that lead to limiting the contributions of ideas, technology, expertise, and funding lie in the unwillingness to make binding commitments seeing that we hide behind the question of the world economic crisis and the idea that there is hunger in all countries. … But then it is forgotten that, if poverty in one country is a social problem that can find solutions, in other contexts it is a social problem and social policies are not enough to address it. This attitude may change if we put solidarity at the heart of international relations, transposing the vocabulary of policy options to a policy of the other.”
The Pope also noted the needs of educating persons regarding a proper nutrition… “We know that in the West the problem is high consumption and waste. In the South, however, it is necessary to encourage local production to ensure nutrition. In many countries with ‘chronic hunger’, [local produce] is replaced by foreign food, perhaps initially through assistance. But emergency aid is not enough and does not always reach the right hands. It creates a dependence on large producers and, if the country lacks the financial means, then the population winds up not eating and hunger grows.”
“ Climate change also makes us think of the forced displacement of populations and the many humanitarian tragedies caused by lack of resources, particularly water, which is already a source of conflict that is expected to increase. It isn’t enough to assert that there is a right to water without making the effort to achieve sustainable consumption of this good and to eliminate any waste. … Besides water, land use also remains a serious problem. Ever more troubling is the seizure of arable land by transnational companies and states, which not only deprives farmers of an essential commodity, it also directly affects countries’ sovereignty. There are too many areas where the foods produced go to foreign countries and the local population is impoverished twice, since they have neither food nor land. … We know that the world’s food production is largely the work of family farms. Therefore it is important,” the Pope concluded, “that the FAO strengthen its partnerships and projects in favor of family businesses, and encourage states to equitably regulate land use and ownership. This may help eliminate the inequalities that are now at the center of international attention.”…
Vatican City, 11 June 2015 (VIS) – Today marked the celebration of the National Day of the Holy See at the Expo 2015 in Milan. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, General Commissioner of the Holy See for Expo Milan 2015, Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, president on the Italian Episcopal Conference, and Cardinal Angelo Scola, Archbishop of Milan, all spoke this morning. This afternoon the “Courtyard of the Gentiles” will also intervene with a presentation on the theme of “The Faces of the Earth”.
During the course of the celebrations this morning, Archbishop Becciu’s speech emphasized that the Holy See considers the vast objective of ensuring an adequate level of nutrition as a real necessity, a result of true sharing, the same which is evidenced in the participation of so many countries in Expo Milan 2015.
“ A shared action,” the archbishop stated, “whose priority is the reduction of the number of hungry persons must include not only interventions during emergency situations, but also projects in favor of agricultural development and their funding proportionate to the different capacity of donors and the needs of beneficiaries. Giving and receiving according to justice requires a formation of conscience attentive to the needs of others, of each one, including when the problem is related to the use of technology, their transfer to the most vulnerable areas and the ability to meet the needs of beneficiaries without limiting the prerogatives, rights, and ―not the least―alimentary customs and cultures. Such a commitment demands that governments, international institutions, and civil social organizations involved in food safety work together, preserving diversity without putting them at odds, and using dialogue as the only concrete tool.”
“ Religions and their traditions,” he added, “know well that freedom from hunger also means freedom from conflicts and prevention of war as the Catholic Church’s litany of saints recalls, in the prayer for liberation from disease, hunger, and war: ‘a peste, fame, et bello libera nos, Domine’.”…
Vatican City, 11 June 2015 (VIS) – President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin was received in audience by the Holy Father yesterday afternoon according to a press release from the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J.
The private meeting held in the library of the Apostolic Palace began approximately at 6:15pm and lasted some 50 minutes. Afterwards there was a presentation of the president’s entourage and an exchange of gifts. President Putin offered the Pope an image of the famous Church of Christ the Savior which the Holy Father reciprocated with a medallion by artist Guido Veroi that represented the angel of peace—an invitation to build a world of solidarity and peace based on justice—and a copy of the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium.
As foreseen, given the current global state of affairs, the meeting was mainly devoted to the conflict in the Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
Regarding the situation in the Ukraine, the Holy Father affirmed that a great and sincere effort is necessary to achieve peace. He agreed on the importance of re-establishing a climate of dialogue and that all parties must commit themselves to enforcing the Minsk Accords. It is also essential to address the serious humanitarian situation, in particular guaranteeing access to humanitarian workers and, with the contribution of all parties, a progressive easing of tensions in the region.
On the other hand, as regards the conflicts of the Middle East, regarding the territories of Syria and Iraq, the common and urgent idea of seeking peace with the concrete participation of the international community, at the same time ensuring the necessary conditions of life to all area of society, including religious minorities, Christians in particular was substantially confirmed.
At the same time as the meeting with President Putin, a meeting was held between Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation , Sergey Lavrov during which the topics of the conflict in the Ukraine and the worrying situation in the Middle East were also discussed….
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday received the members of the Episcopal Conference of Latvia and Estonia on their Visit ad limina Apostolorum .
In written remarks consigned to the Bishops, Pope Francis noted that the countries of Latvia and Estonia had been oppressed for a long time by regimes founded on ideologies contrary to human dignity and human freedom. Now, he warned the Bishops, “you must measure yourselves against other insidious dangers, such as secularism and relativism.” He encouraged them to work without tiring, having confidence “in the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ, the word of salvation for every man of every time and every culture.”
The Holy Father reminded the Bishops that they are not alone in this “renewed evangelization.” They can count on their priests, and he called on them to commit themselves to continual prayer for vocations. He also asked the Bishops to take good care of the formation of new priests.
Pope Francis also noted the good work of men and women in the consecrated life. “Especially in this Year dedicated to them,” he said, “it is fitting to make sure they understand that they are appreciated not only for the services they perform, but primarily for the intrinsic richness of their charism and witness.”
The lay faithful, too, the Pope said, are “indispensable” for the evangelizing mission. Bishops are called to watch over and encourage the proper mission of the laity, so that the lay faithful can “form their consciences and deepen their sense of the Church, in particular the knowledge of social doctrine.” He encouraged the Bishops with their people to support the ecumenical dialogue which “is so necessary today” when social peace is often disrupted by ethnic and linguistic differences.
As has become common in his addresses to Bishops, Pope Francis also focused on the family, which he called “a gift from God for the full realization of man and woman created in His image.” Today, he continued, marriage is often considered a form of “emotional gratification” that can take any form and be modified at will. He said this “reductive conception” of marriage also affects Christians, leading to an easy recourse to divorce or de facto separations. He called on the Bishops to examine themselves with regard to marriage preparations for young couples, and pastoral care for couples living in irregular situations, “so that the children will not become the first victims and the couples will not feel excluded from the mercy of God and the care of the Church.”
Finally, Pope Francis recognized that the economic crisis has led to emigration in Latvia and Estonia, with consequences for families, which are often headed by a single parent. The pastoral care of Bishops and priests, and the loving support of the communities, is particularly important for these families.
At the conclusion of the Visit, Pope Francis gave his Apostolic Blessing to the Bishops, along with the priests, religious, and lay faithful entrusted to their care.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the participants in the 39 th international conference of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization on Thursday. The week-long event (June 6-13) brings together roughly 450 participants from scores of countries and every part of the to evaluate the Organization’s recent activities and plan for the work of the coming years.
In remarks to the participants prepared for the audience in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace and delivered on Thursday, Pope Francis focused on three main points: reducing the waste of foodstuffs; educating people in how to practice wholesome nutrition; fostering an attitude of genuine and effective solidarity in order to promote and achieve real food security for all and for everyone.
“Food security must be achieved,” said Pope Francis. “We must begin with our daily lives if we want to change lifestyles, aware that our small gestures can guarantee sustainability and the future of the human family,” he continued.
Pope Francis went on to say, “Let us modify our relationship with natural resources, land use, consumption, and eliminate waste: thus shall we defeat hunger.”
“The Church with its institutions and its initiatives,” concluded Pope Francis, “walks with you, knowing that the earth’s resources are limited and their sustainable use is an urgent need for agricultural development and food security. For this reason, the Church is committed to promoting the change of attitude necessary for the good of future generations.”
(from Vatican Radio)…