Rome, Italy, Nov 6, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Addressing The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, emphatically stated that, “hunger and malnutrition are unacceptable in a world that has levels of production, of resources and of know-how capable of putting an end to this scourge and its dramatic consequences."
The Vatican official made his comments on behalf of the Pope during the 23rd session of the U.N.'s intergovernmental committee for Food Security, in Italy.
"It is not the Church's vocation," the archbishop said, "to propose political, economic or technical solutions to meet the problems of society. However, in her mission to announce the Good News to all nations, she feels particularly close to those who live in conditions of poverty, suffering and malnutrition, and wishes to help them with the means at her disposal.”
“She is always ready to support those who work to strengthen international solidarity and promote justice among people, especially those who live in direct contact with people undergoing harsh trials," Mamberti said of the Catholic Church.
Archbishop Mamberti, offered greetings and encouragement from Pope Benedict XVI and noted the FAO’s ongoing efforts to solve the problem of world hunger. "Beating hunger in the world is a task that needs time to achieve... Despite the efforts of the FAO... of intergovernmental organizations and of various other associations, we note a persistence, even an increase in the impediments and imbalances that prevent millions of men and women from obtaining adequate nourishment."
"The plight of the multitudes whose right to life is in danger must continue to concern us and touch our consciences so that our behavior, wherever we may be, does not contribute to aggravating the inequalities between rich countries and poor ones,” the archbishop said.