Pope Francis: feed the hungry

Francis asks Church to give the hungry a roaring voice which can shake the world

                  

  

The tragedy of hunger in the world

Pope Francis has sent a video message in support of Caritas Internationalis’ campaign against global hunger

ANDREA TORNIELLI vatican city
“I invite all of the institutions of the world, the Church each of us, as one single human family, to give a voice to all of those who suffer silently from hunger, so that this voice becomes a roar which can shake the world,” Francis said in a video message today, appealing for support for Caritas Internationalis’ campaign against hunger. The campaign is titled “One Human Family, Food for All” has been launched in celebration of Human Rights Day on 10 December. 

Francis gave his full support to the initiative recalling in his video message, that Caritas Internationalis is active in 200 countries and territories across the world. This confederation, together with its 164 member organisations works in 200 countries and territories around the world and its work is at the heart of the mission of the Church and of Her attention towards all those who suffer because of the scandal of hunger, those with whom the Lord identified when he said, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.”

The Pope explained that when the Apostles told Jesus that the people who had gathered to listen to him were hungry, “he invited them to go and look for food. Being poor themselves, all they found were five loaves and two fish. But with the grace of God, they managed to feed a multitude of people, even managing to collect what was left over and avoiding that it went to waste.”

“We are in front of a global scandal of around one billion – one billion people who still suffer from hunger today,” Francis said. We cannot look the other way and pretend this does not exist. The food available in the world is enough to feed everyone. The parable of the multiplication of the loaves and fish teaches us exactly this: that if there is the will, what we have never ends. On the contrary, it abounds and does not get wasted.”

Francis invited faithful “to make space in your heart for this emergency of respecting the God-given rights of everyone to have access to adequate food. We share what we have in Christian charity with those who face numerous obstacles to satisfy such a basic need. At the same time we promote an authentic cooperation with the poor so that through the fruits of their and our work they can live a dignified life.”

He concluded the video message by inviting all the world’s institutions and the whole Church to “give a voice to all of those who suffer silently from hunger, so that this voice becomes a roar which can shake the world.” “It is also a reminder to stop thinking that our daily actions do not have an impact on the lives of those who suffer from hunger firsthand.”