Cardinal Bo at IEC: Whole world should work to end poverty
(Vatican Radio) The Papal legate to the 51st International Eucharist Congress (IEC), Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, said the divide between rich and poor does not exist because of a lack of resources, but because of “poor distribution.”
Cardinal Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar, spoke to Vatican Radio in Cebu, Philippines, during the IEC, where he has called for a “World War III against poverty.”
“The whole world and the whole global people should participate in solving this poverty,” he said.
Listen to the interview by Seàn-Patrick Lovett with Cardinal Charles Maung Bo:
“The Poor and the Rich are there, not because we do not have the natural resources, not because there is not enough food…but because of the poor distribution,” he said.
“There should be a system in all the religions, and all the Churches, and in all the countries with the governments … they should set up a system that we have sharing with all the other people,” Cardinal Bo added, pointing to the leadership provided by Pope Francis.
The Cardinal also spoke to Vatican Radio about the political changes happening in Myanmar – also known as Burma – where Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a landslide victory late last year.
The country had been under military rule for over 50 years, and the November elections have been viewed as the most important step so far in the transition to democracy.
“Of course, we have to pray very hard that the transition is very smooth and peaceful because the military – once you have power for half-a-century – it is difficult for them to hand over power.” Cardinal Bo said.
“Aung San Suu Kyi herself, although she won, is trying to compromise [and] have an understanding with the military so they won’t have a very aggressive, violent movement in the country,” he continued. “So we have to work very hard on that, so the transition is smooth.”