Pope urges Catholics to join Caritas week of action to end hunger
ROME, 6 October—Caritas organisations around the world are taking part in a “Week of Action” from 12-19 October to end hunger by 2025.
Highlights of the week include a video message from Pope Francis calling on Catholics to get behind the Caritas One Human Family, Food for All campaign.
“I encourage the faithful to participate in Caritas’ “Food for All” campaign and raise a voice for the hungry, particularly during the Week of Action,” said the pope in the message.
It is the first ever global campaign by the 160 Caritas national organisations, who say ending world hunger is their priority.
In his message to Caritas supporters, Pope Francis said, “’I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.’ The words of Our Lord call to us today, telling us not to turn away, indifferent, when we know our neighbor is hungry.”
Caritas activities will take place in over 50 countries around the world. They include events in support of poor farmers, actions against unjust laws that harm small holders, and families sharing their experiences of getting food on the table.
One goal of the campaign is to put pressure on governments to ensure the rights of farmers, especially women farmers, are upheld in law, that there is an end to food speculation, and that there are adequate safety nets to fight child malnutrition.
Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Michel Roy said, “The Caritas confederation is speaking with one clear, unified voice in every corner of the world: it’s a scandal that 800 million people go to bed without enough to eat, we have the tools to end hunger by 2025, let’s act now.”
Highlights
- In Malawi, Caritas will bring messages to government leaders about legal changes that would help farmers.
- Caritas Pakistan is holding a cooking competition for women who have grown their own food as part of Caritas programmes.
- In Sri Lanka, parishes will hold community meals with the poor.
- Dioceses in Panama will approach the government about the right to food.
- In Japan, Caritas has run a programme that fights food waste at home while helping buy seeds for farmers in East Africa.
- In Canada, Catholics are urged to sign a petition supporting the rights of small family farmers to use, save, and exchange their seeds.
- In Italy, Cyprus and Bangladesh, Caritas will be part of hunger runs.
The Caritas One Human Family, Food for All campaign was launched by Pope Francis in December 2013 and will run to next May.
Contact
Laura Sheahen | [email protected]