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Pope Francis is asking for a radical change, “a new ethic,” in the way the world’s economy and finances are organised and managed.
He addressed his concerns to those attending a high-level conference in the Vatican.
Those at the conference included the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, the president of the World Bank, heads of multilateral institutions, government ministers and well-known economists, including many from Latin America.
Francis encouraged them to build bridges that foster the development of a vision of solidarity in the financial world, among governments and in economic decisions.
“The world is rich but, notwithstanding this, the [number of] poor people around us is increasing,” he said
He noted that per-capita income in the world today is around $12,000. However, “hundreds of millions of people are living in extreme poverty, lacking the bare necessities of life including food, medical care, schools, drinking water.”
He hammered his points home, pointing out the fate of millions affected by poverty. Of these:
Five million minors “will die this year due to poverty,”
Another 260 million are without education due to lack of resources, wars and migration
Millions more are victims of human trafficking or new forms of slavery, or subjected to prostitution or the sale of organs.
Francis told the delegates at the conference the current situation is “a call for action, not a motive for despair.
“We are not condemned to universal inequality.” he said.
Instead, he suggested a “creative responses in the face of the…suffering of so many innocent people.”.
The underlying problems involves “the lack of will and decision to change things, and especially [to change] the priorities.”
On the other hand, he said, “a rich world and a vibrant economy can and must put an end to poverty.”
Source
- America Magazine
- Image: America Magazine
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