statistic, there is the face of a person who is suffering, Pope Francis said.
"Poverty has a face! It has the face of a child; it has the face of a family; it has the face of people,
young and old. It has the face of widespread unemployment and lack of opportunity. It has the
face of forced migrations, and of empty or destroyed homes," the pope said June 13 during a
visit to the Rome headquarters of the U.N .'s World Food Program.
young and old. It has the face of widespread unemployment and lack of opportunity. It has the
face of forced migrations, and of empty or destroyed homes," the pope said June 13 during a
visit to the Rome headquarters of the U.N .'s World Food Program.
Advanced communications, while informing the world of the tragedy of poverty, has also
resulted in a desensitized culture that has turned the real suffering of people into statistics, the
pope told WFP executive board members.
The world is gradually -growing immune to other people's tragedies, seeing them as something
'natural,'" he said. "Without faces and stories, human lives become statistics and we run the risk
of bureaucratizing the sufferings of others."
According to the WFP website, the organization provides food assistance to an estimated 80
million people in 82 countries.
Arriving at the headquarters, the pope greeted employees and took a moment to pray in front of
a plaque commemorating those who died in the line of duty. The pope praised their sacrifice,
saying that far from a "cold and anonymous institution," the WFP is "an effective means for the
international community" to carry out the work of feeding the hungry.
"The credibility of an institution is not based on its declarations, but on the work accomplished
While noting the potential of an "interconnected world marked by instant communications,- the
pope also lamented a situation in which extreme poverty is considered -natural - and the tragic
circumstances of the hungry "turn into one more news story."
If the people behind the statistics are not recognized, he said, the world "can yield to the temptation of discussing 'hunger; 'food,' and 'violence' as concepts without reference to the real
people knocking on our doors today."
"We are bombarded by so many images that we see pain, but do not touch it; we hear weeping,
but do not comfort it; we see thirst but do not satisfy it," he said. "While the headlines may
change, the pain, the hunger and the thirst remain; they do not go away."
Pope Francis told the members of the WFP executive board that the first step in fighting poverty
is to "de-naturalize" it and shed light on the causes of poverty due to "a selfish and wrong
distribution of resources" as well as the abuse and exploitation of the earth.
"We have made the fruits of the earth a gift to humanity commodities for a few, thus
engendering exclusion. The consumerism in which our societies are immersed has made us
grow accustomed to excess and to the daily waste of food," he said.
The pope also brought attention to the resources and priority given to the production and
purchase of weapons at the same time that efforts to distribute food supplies to hungry people
suffering in war zones are used as a "weapon of war."
"We thus find ourselves faced with a strange paradox. Whereas forms of aid and development
projects are obstructed by complicated and incomprehensible political decisions, skewed
ideological visions and impenetrable customs barriers, weaponry is not," he said.
Praising the World Food Program's dedication to eradicating world hunger, the pope affirmed
the church 's commitment and cooperation to defend and protect the dignity of those who
suffer.
"'I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.' These
words embody one of the axioms of Christianity. Independent of creeds and convictions, they
can serve as a golden rule for our peoples," the pope said.
After delivering his address, Pope Francis greeted WFP employees, telling them he preferred to
speak off the cuff rather than reading his prepared remarks because "speeches are a bit boring."
Thanking the employees for their "hidden work behind the scenes" in eradicating poverty, the
pope called on them to never forget the lives of the program's employees who died while
serving others.
"They were able to do that not only because of the courage they had (and) the faith they had in
their work, but also because they were sustained by your work. Thank you so much and I ask you
to pray for me so that I, too, can be able to do something against hunger," he said.
Response:
resulted in a desensitized culture that has turned the real suffering of people into statistics, the
pope told WFP executive board members.
The world is gradually -growing immune to other people's tragedies, seeing them as something
'natural,'" he said. "Without faces and stories, human lives become statistics and we run the risk
of bureaucratizing the sufferings of others."
According to the WFP website, the organization provides food assistance to an estimated 80
million people in 82 countries.
Arriving at the headquarters, the pope greeted employees and took a moment to pray in front of
a plaque commemorating those who died in the line of duty. The pope praised their sacrifice,
saying that far from a "cold and anonymous institution," the WFP is "an effective means for the
international community" to carry out the work of feeding the hungry.
"The credibility of an institution is not based on its declarations, but on the work accomplished
by its members," he said.
While noting the potential of an "interconnected world marked by instant communications,- the
pope also lamented a situation in which extreme poverty is considered -natural - and the tragic
circumstances of the hungry "turn into one more news story."
If the people behind the statistics are not recognized, he said, the world "can yield to the temptation of discussing 'hunger; 'food,' and 'violence' as concepts without reference to the real
people knocking on our doors today."
"We are bombarded by so many images that we see pain, but do not touch it; we hear weeping,
but do not comfort it; we see thirst but do not satisfy it," he said. "While the headlines may
change, the pain, the hunger and the thirst remain; they do not go away."
Pope Francis told the members of the WFP executive board that the first step in fighting poverty
is to "de-naturalize" it and shed light on the causes of poverty due to "a selfish and wrong
distribution of resources" as well as the abuse and exploitation of the earth.
"We have made the fruits of the earth a gift to humanity commodities for a few, thus
engendering exclusion. The consumerism in which our societies are immersed has made us
grow accustomed to excess and to the daily waste of food," he said.
The pope also brought attention to the resources and priority given to the production and
purchase of weapons at the same time that efforts to distribute food supplies to hungry people
suffering in war zones are used as a "weapon of war."
"We thus find ourselves faced with a strange paradox. Whereas forms of aid and development
projects are obstructed by complicated and incomprehensible political decisions, skewed
ideological visions and impenetrable customs barriers, weaponry is not," he said.
Praising the World Food Program's dedication to eradicating world hunger, the pope affirmed
the church 's commitment and cooperation to defend and protect the dignity of those who
suffer.
"'I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.' These
words embody one of the axioms of Christianity. Independent of creeds and convictions, they
can serve as a golden rule for our peoples," the pope said.
After delivering his address, Pope Francis greeted WFP employees, telling them he preferred to
speak off the cuff rather than reading his prepared remarks because "speeches are a bit boring."
Thanking the employees for their "hidden work behind the scenes" in eradicating poverty, the
pope called on them to never forget the lives of the program's employees who died while
serving others.
"They were able to do that not only because of the courage they had (and) the faith they had in
their work, but also because they were sustained by your work. Thank you so much and I ask you
to pray for me so that I, too, can be able to do something against hunger," he said.
Response:
This article, bring from a Catholic news agency, is focused on the Pope and his view on Poverty, but it holds key facts for the fight against poverty. It praises the WFP, and states that it is an organization that does not just say it is going to do something, but truly does act for the improvement of the situation. The Pope praises all the people of the WFP that has died for the cause to end poverty. When one looks at poverty, many just think about the money they should give, or an image of a hungry child. This issue is much bugger, and as the Pope states, "Poverty has a face!" Those suffering, without food, clothes, and the bare necessities of life, are just as much people and individuals as we are. There should be more awareness and fundraising, but it is not good enough just to say you are going to do something. With a promise comes action. The world must become doers for anything to truly be accomplished.
Esteves,
Junno Arocho. "Extreme Poverty Is a Reality, Not a Faceless Statistic,
Pope Says."
Catholic News Service. N.p., 13 June 2016. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/extreme-poverty-is-a-reality-not-a-faceless-statistic-pope-says.cfm>.
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