Pope Benedict XVI urges G-8 leaders to keep promises to increase aid to Africa and other poor nations:

(6 June,2007) Pope Benedict XVI urged leaders of the Group of Eight (G 8) on Wednesday, to make good on promises to increase aid to Africa and other poor countries, and asked that funding be directed particularly to schools. Pope Benedict issued the appeal at the end of his weekly general audience, as G-8 leaders were gathering for their annual summit in Heiligendamm, Germany. The Pope said German Chancellor Angela Merkel had assured him that world poverty would be on the summit agenda. “ Now I should like to make a further appeal to the leaders meeting at Heiligendamm , not to retreat from their promises to make a substantial increase in development aid , in favour of the most needy populations, especially those of the African continent,” Pope Benedict said. He cited the U.N. Millennium Development goal that calls for universal primary education for all children by 2015. And he noted that the Catholic Church runs schools around the world, particularly in poor countries. “This reality should be recognized, valued and supported by governments and international organizations, among other things by the allocation of sufficient funding,” Pope Benedict said.