AMERICA/PERU - In their Christmas Message, the Bishops tell people to look upon the poverty of children

Lima (Agenzia Fides) – The announcement of the birth of the Savior “is a cause for joy and hope; a source of strength for overcoming the culture of violence and death and for building solidarity, progress, and peace among men and peoples,” say the Bishops of Peru, in their Christmas Message to the faithful.
Recalling the title of the Holy Father's Message for Peace this year, “Fighting poverty to build peace,” the Bishops invite all to “look upon the poverty of children, because when poverty strikes a family, children are the ones most at risk.” The Bishops say that “nearly half of the population of those living in absolute poverty are children.”
In Peru, they say, there are still serious problems, however in the midst of difficulties and adversity, there area also “visible signs of hope and exemplary lives of honesty and solidarity that should be recognized.” For example, “the earthquake that occurred on August 15 of last year, taught us this great lesson. The suffering of the wounded and the families that lost their loved ones and were left without homes, was an opportunity to make us more sensitive to human suffering.”
In this sense, the Bishops ask that the people “continue to build a culture of service and solidarity in a permanent manner,” recalling especially several emergencies such as “the hard times that the Saint John of God Clinic is experiencing.”
“Pope Benedict XVI urges us to continue in the fight against poverty, which implies the help of men and women who live in profound brotherhood and are capable of accompanying other people, families, and communities on the path to authentic human development,” the Bishops conclude. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 22/12/2008)