Pope says Church members cannot ignore the hungry

(February 27, 2009) Members of the Catholic Church, who are nourished by the Body of Christ, cannot remain indifferent to the needs of others, especially the hungry, said Pope Benedict XVI on Friday. He made the observation on Friday while meeting officials of two European Catholic charities that donated a collection for the Pope’s charity. The ‘Pro Petri Sedem’ is an association that is active in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, while “Etrennes Pontificales”, is an association of the Catholic journalists of Belgium.
The Pope told the two groups that since the Church is a body in which flows the same life of Christ, each of its members is deeply connected to all others and cannot ignore their needs especially when they lack bread at the table. The Pope told them that by entrusting the fruit of their savings to the successor of Peter, they were enabling him exercise his charity in an active and concrete way, which is the sign of his concern for all the churches, for each baptized and every human being. Thanking the two groups on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Pope said their generosity will help fight the evils that undermine human dignity. By fighting poverty, the Pope said, we give peace a greater chance to reach and strike roots in the hearts of men.