Pope blames speculation, corruption for "scandalous" food crisis
Source: Reuters
Pope blames speculation, corruption for "scandalous" food crisis
June 20, 2013 03:09 PM
ROME: Pope Francis said on Thursday that financial speculation and corruption were keeping millions of people in hunger and the financial crisis could not be used as an alibi for failing to to help the poor.
The speech was the latest in a series of criticisms by the Argentinian pontiff, the first Latin American pope, of what he has called "the dictatorship of the economy" and the spread of consumerist values.
"It is a well-known fact that current levels of production are sufficient, yet millions of people are still suffering and dying of starvation. This is truly scandalous," he said in a speech to participants of a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization conference in Rome.
Francis has made repeated calls to tackle poverty and focus on the needs of the poor since he succeeded Pope Benedict in March. He has made it his mission to rejuvenate an institution reeling from scandals, including widepread sexual abuse by priests, and losing people to other faiths.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2013/Jun-20/221020-pope-blames-speculation-corruption-for-scandalous-food-crisis.ashx#ixzz2Wt3FKmtU
msongs
(69,479 posts)Dreamer Tatum
(10,926 posts)Posteritatis
(18,807 posts)I just take it for granted that if the Catholic Church does anything other than commit mass suicide people will crap on whatever gets said.
(I do wonder at times if people think it actually does change the truth of what he said, though. Ugh.)
elleng
(134,849 posts)AND he's not exactly been in a position to change the church's history over the centuries. He seems to be doing what he can to change its direction in many ways.
Beacool
(30,273 posts)There's so much intolerance toward religion on this site, particularly when it comes to the Catholic Church. Yes, there are some things I don't agree with, but the Church is the largest NGO in the world and the Vatican is mostly a museum. Asking them to get rid of their riches is like asking the US to sell the content of all the Smithsonian museums.
Brigid
(17,621 posts)The Vatican has found itself the custodian of many priceless treasures. Pope Francis can't exactly rip the frescoes out of the walls and sell them.
RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)Jesus said, if you want to follow him sell all your worldly goods, give the money to the poor.
Right there in the bible, I do believe.
rurallib
(62,965 posts)at least equivalent to taking a birth control pill.
Maybe he could advocate birth control so there are less starving people.
I still have some hope for this one
GreenStormCloud
(12,072 posts)They would have to toss out the doctrine of original sin and its means of transmission.
Protestants dumped it almost 500 years ago.
meow2u3
(24,882 posts)but that would offend conservatives. We can't have that.
NYtoBush-Drop Dead
(490 posts)you know, the hypocrites.
Brewinblue
(392 posts)But I really like this guy. And, if he has the fortitude and can stay alive, he might make an an incredibly positive impact.
NickB79
(19,489 posts)Ya know, that whole "condoms and birth control an family planning are bad and should be frowned upon by the world's Catholics" which is ultimately at the core of why we have a couple billion more mouths to feed than we can sustainably?
Current levels of production are sufficient, for now. They likely WON'T be sufficient for much longer, given what climate change and environmental degradation is starting to do to our farmer's ability to get bountiful yields of crops.
http://www1.umn.edu/news/news-releases/2013/UR_CONTENT_447180.html
New University of Minnesota research shows current growth in global crop yields will be insufficient to feed the world in 2050 and identifies focus areas for closing the gap.
Oh, got nothing to say about that? Oh well, maybe next time.