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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Angelus Message
A Plea to End World Hunger
"It Is Necessary 'to Convert' the Model of Global Development"
H.H. Benedict XVI
November 12, 2006
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Today in Italy the annual Day of Thanksgiving is being observed,
whose theme is "The Earth: a Gift for the Whole Human Family." In
our families we teach the little ones to thank the Lord always
before eating, with a brief prayer and the sign of the cross. This
custom must be kept or rediscovered, because it teaches [us] not to
take our "daily bread" for granted but to recognize in it a gift of
Providence.
We should get into the habit of blessing the Creator for each thing:
for air and water, precious elements which are the foundation of
life on our planet; as well as for food that, through the fecundity
of the earth, God gives us for our sustenance. Jesus taught his
disciples to pray, asking the heavenly Father not for "my" but for
"our" daily bread. Thus he wanted every man to feel co-responsible
for his brothers, so that no one would be without what is necessary
to live. The earth's products are a gift given by God "for the whole
human family."
And here we touch upon a very painful point: the tragedy of hunger
that, despite the fact that even recently it has been addressed in
the highest institutional quarters, such as the United Nations and
in particular the FAO, continues to be very grave always. The last
annual FAO report confirmed what the Church knows very well through
the direct experience of communities and missionaries: that more
than 800 million people live in a situation of malnutrition and too
many people, especially children, die of hunger.
How can this situation be addressed that, though repeatedly
denounced, is not resolved, but on the contrary is getting worse in
different ways? Surely it is necessary to eliminate the structural
causes linked to the system of government of the world economy,
which allocates the greater part of the planet's resources to a
minority of the population. This injustice was criticized on
different occasions by my venerated predecessors, the Servants of
God Paul VI and John Paul II.
To be able to influence on a large scale it is necessary "to
convert" the model of global development; this is required now not
only by the scandal of hunger, but also by the environmental and
energy emergencies. However, each person and each family can and
must do something to alleviate hunger in the world, adopting a style
of life and consumption compatible with the safeguarding of creation
and with criteria of justice toward those who cultivate the land in
every country.
Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today, the Day of Thanksgiving invites
us, on one hand, to thank God for the fruits of agricultural labor
and, on the other, it encourages us to be committed concretely to
eradicate the scourge of hunger. May the Virgin Mary help us to be
grateful for the benefits of Providence and to promote justice and
solidarity in all parts of the globe.
[Translation by ZENIT]
[At the end of the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in
several languages. In English, he said:]
I greet the English-speaking visitors here today, especially the
pilgrims from Billingham in England, from Perth in Western Australia
and from Salt Lake City in the United States of America. I pray that
your visit to Rome will deepen your love for Christ and his Church.
In today's Gospel, we hear of a poor widow who gave to the Lord all
she had, without keeping anything for herself. Her generosity is an
inspiration to all of us to give ourselves totally to Christ. Upon
all of you, and upon your families and loved ones at home, I invoke
God's abundant blessings.
© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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