POPE FRANCIS MESSAGE
UN - FOOD AND WATER
MEETING – FAO
-By Linda Bordoni
At the heart of Pope Francis’ message to participants
in the 2nd edition of the World Food Forum (WFF) was the call “not simply to
feed the other, but to give ourselves in service to others” in a spirit of
“fraternity and solidarity that must inspire relations between individuals and
between peoples.”
The Forum at the UN Rome-based Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) takes place from 17 to 21 October 2022 with a focus on
“Youth Action”, “Science & Innovation”, and “Investment".
The Forum comes in a year of unprecedented hunger. UN
statistics show that conflict, COVID, the climate crisis, and rising costs have
combined to create jeopardy for up to 828 million hungry people across the
world.
In this world of interconnected crises, the Pope said
in his message to participants of the WFF’s opening ceremony, the message of
Christ challenges us to make decisions and promote initiatives for the good and
the future of all humanity.
The sacredness of bread
Extending his greeting to all those who commit
themselves and strive every day to eradicate hunger and poverty in the world,
Pope Francis said “food is fundamental to human life, in fact, it shares in its
sacredness and cannot be treated like any other commodity.”
“Food is a concrete sign of the Creator's goodness and
of the fruits of the earth.”
He recalled the respect our grandparents had for
bread: “they kissed it when they brought it to the table and did not allow
anything to go to waste.
“Christ himself, in the Eucharist, became bread,
living bread for the life of the world.”
The Pope said that in order to respect food and give it
the pre-eminent place it has in human life, “in addition to concern for its
production, availability, and access,” we must be aware that it is “a gift of
God of which we are mere stewards.”
The centrality of the human person
Our first concern, he explained, must “focus on the
human being as such, considered in his or her integrity and taking into account
his or her real needs, in particular those who lack the basic sustenance for
survival.”
“This priority can only be safeguarded if we once
again believe in the fraternity and solidarity that must inspire relations
between individuals and between peoples.”
The Pope concluded his message by saying he entrusts
to God the fruits of this meeting, “so that the initiatives and decisions that
contribute to the good and the future of all humanity may increase.”
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