Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Made public today a letter addressed by Pope Benedict XVI to Dr Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, dated 16 December 2006, on the occasion of the German presidency of the European Union and the Group of the seven leading economic powers plus the Russian Federation (G-8). The Pope expresses the Catholic Church's appreciation and encouragement for the intention expressed by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany, and shared by the other G-8 members, to keep the question of global poverty on its agenda and make assistance to the Continent of Africa a key priority.
"I welcome the fact that the question of poverty, with specific reference to Africa, now appears on the agenda of the G8 - the Pope writes in the Letter - indeed, it should be given the highest attention and priority, for the sake of poor and rich countries alike.”. Governments of poorer countries have a responsibility with regard to good governance and the elimination of poverty, as the Holy See has often said, but to reach this goal "the active involvement of international partners is indispensable. It is a grave and unconditional moral responsibility, founded on the unity of the human race, and on the common dignity and shared destiny of rich and poor alike, who are being drawn ever closer by the process of globalisation" - the Holy Father continued
The Holy Father underlined that "trade conditions favourable to poor countries, including, above all, broad and unconditional access to markets, should be made available and guaranteed in lasting and reliable ways”; provision must be made for the rapid, total and unconditional cancellation of the external debt of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Measures should also be adopted to ensure that these countries do not fall once again into situations of unsustainable debt.”. The Pope urges developed countries to keep the commitments assumed in the field of aid for development. In the field of healthcare a substantial investment of resources for research and for the development of medicines to treat AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other tropical diseases is needed. Especially urgent “the discovery of a vaccine against malaria”. “There is also a need to make available medical and pharmaceutical technology and health care expertise without imposing legal or economic conditions.”.
Lastly the Letter reminds the international community of its duty to "continue to work for the substantial reduction of both the legal and the illegal arms trade, the illegal trade of precious raw materials, and the flight of capital from poor countries, as well as for the elimination of the practices of money-laundering and corruption of officials of poor countries.”. The Holy Father concludes recalling that the elimination of extreme poverty by 2015 is “one of the most important tasks in today’s world”, shared by religions and cultures, together with the conviction that “such an objective is indissolubly linked to world peace and security”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 24/4/2007, righe 35, parole 621)
