“The poor cannot wait.” Those were the Pontiff’s words in a message to the Director of the Food and Agricultural Organisation, José Graziano da Silva on the occasion of World Food Day. His Holiness Pope Francis underlined that although some may say that there are twelve years ahead of the goal of Zero Hunger by 2030, urgent action needs to be taken to aid those whose circumstances are desperate. From now until 2030, the Pontiff says, “we have 12 years to set up initiatives that are vigorous and consistent”. He notes that the theme for this year Our actions are our future: A Zero Hunger world by 2030 is possible, “becomes an urgent call to responsibility on the part of all those actors who are in agreement with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a rallying cry to wake us from the slumber that often paralyzes and inhibits us.”
As reported by Vatican news, In the message the Holy Father stresses the need for unity, both on a local and global level in response to the challenge of hunger. In this sense, he says, “the 2030 Agenda, with the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Zero Hunger initiative, require international entities, like the FAO, to engage responsibly the member States so that they can undertake and implement initiatives at the local level. Alluding to a lack of political will to end the scourge of hunger, His Holiness Pope Francis pointed out that, “what is needed is the willingness to end hunger, and this ultimately will not happen without a moral conviction that is shared by all peoples and all religious persuasions.”
The Pontiff concluded his message by recalling the work of the Catholic Church, in the exercise of her mission in the struggle against hunger and he adds that “those who suffer from misery are not different from us. They share our flesh and blood. They deserve, then, a friendly hand to help and support them.”
