Bulletin for 07/23/2017
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has donated €25 thousand to the efforts of the United Nations ’ Food and Agriculture Organisation , FAO , in support of people facing famine and food insecurity in East Africa .
The Holy Father had pledged personal assistance in a message to FAO ‘s Conference on 3 July 2017, in which he said he was “inspired also by the desire to encourage Governments”.
Click below to hear our report
In February of this year, famine was declared in parts of South Sudan (where civil strife has largely interrupted daily life). While the situation has eased after a significant scaling up in the humanitarian response, some 6 million people in the country are still struggling to find enough food every day.
Meanwhile, there are an estimated 16 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in five other East African countries: Somalia , Ethiopia , Kenya , Tanzania and Uganda . That figure represents an increase of about 30 percent since late 2016.
Below, please find the official statement regarding the donation
*************************************
Pope Francis donates to FAO to assist drought and conflict-stricken populations in East Africa
Gesture aims to encourage governments to support FAO’s emergency response
21 July 2017, Rome – In an unprecedented move, Pope Francis has symbolically donated €25,000 to FAO’s efforts supporting people facing food insecurity and famine in East Africa.
Pope Francis said the funds are “a symbolic contribution to an FAO programme that provides seeds to rural families in areas affected by the combined effects of conflicts and drought.”
The pontiff’s remarks were contained in a letter written to FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva by Monsignor Fernando Chica Arellano, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN food agencies in Rome.
Pope Francis’ gesture stemmed from a pledge he made in a message to FAO’s Conference on 3 July 2017 and was “inspired also by the desire to encourage Governments,” Monsignor Chica wrote in the letter.
Famine was declared in parts of South Sudan in February and while the situation has eased after a significant scaling up in the humanitarian response, some 6 million people in the country are still struggling to find enough food every day.
Meanwhile the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in five other East African countries – Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda – is currently estimated at about 16 million, which marks an increase of about 30 percent since late 2016.
Pope Francis, who has made solidarity a major theme of his pontificate, is set to visit FAO’s headquarters on 16 October to mark World Food Day. This year the event is being held under the slogan: “Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a Message to the International Meeting of the World Movement of Christian Workers which has been taking place in Ávila, Spain, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its foundation.
120 delegates representing the Movement, present today in 79 countries are attending the event. The theme of the meeting is, “Land, Home and Work for a Worthy Life”. The message, signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, stresses that “the dignity of the person is closely united to these three realities” that remind us that the fundamental experience of the human being “is to feel rooted in the world, in one Family, in a society. ”
“Land, home, and work – continues the Message – means fighting because every person lives in a manner consistent with his dignity and nobody is discarded. To this we encourage our faith in God, who sent his Son into the world because, sharing the story of his people, living in a family and working with his hands, he could redeem and save the human person with his Death and resurrection “.
Finally, the Pope urges the Christian Workers Movement “to persevere with renewed impetus in the effort to bring the Gospel into the world of work”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Pope during his Angelus in St Peter’s Square on Sunday once again addressed his thoughts to Venezuela. Greeting the Venezuelan Catholic community in Italy he renewed his prayer for what he called, this “beloved country”. Pope Francis’ prayer comes on a crucial day for Venezuela: this Sunday marks the popular referendum promoted by the opposition to say no to the constituent assembly proposed by President Maduro. The country’s bishops support the initiative, which is not recognized by the authorities, to counteract – they say – the attempt to establish a Marxist military dictatorship. Meanwhile, as the political crisis deepens, the humanitarian crisis worsens. Italian Caritas has published a report entitled which shows that over 11,000 children died in 2016 for lack of medicines and maternal mortality rose by almost 70%. Faced with the food, health and safety crisis, the Italian Bishops’ Conference has also offered to contribute 500,000 euros.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) During his Angelus address on Sunday to the pilgrims and tourists who braved the heat in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis recalled the Gospel reading of the day, the famous parable of the sower.
Listen to our report:
The Pope explained that the sower is Jesus, but the parable itself, the Pope went on to say concerns us, as it speaks of the soil and not the sower.
The Holy Father noted that “Jesus performs, so to speak, a “spiritual radiography” of our heart”, which is the ground upon which the seed of the Word falls. Our heart, he added, “is like the soil, it can be good when the Word bears fruit, but it can also be hard, and waterproof.”
Pope Francis also described how in between these forms of soil, there are two types of land. The first, he said, is a stony ground where the seed cannot put down deep roots. This, the Pope added, “is the superficial heart that welcomes the Lord, wants to pray, love and testify, but does not persevere…”
The Holy Father continued, then “there is the thorny ground, full of rocks that suffocate the good plants.” This form of soil, he said, was the world seduced by wealth and greed, adding that the rocks were the vices that inhabit a person’s heart.
With the Lord’s help, underlined Pope Francis, we can reclaim the land in the form of confession and prayer that removes the stones and thorns and purifies our hearts.
During his address the Holy Father remembered the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel, who is celebrated on July 16th.
(from Vatican Radio)…