General Intention for the month of JUNE

(May 30, 2009) Now we have the Holy Father’s General Intention for the Month of June: That international attention towards the poorer countries may give rise to more concrete help, in particular to relieve them of the crushing burden of foreign debt.
Debt relief is, of course, only one aspect of the vaster task of fighting poverty and of ensuring that the citizens of the poorest countries can have a fuller share at the banquet of life. Debt relief is, however, urgent. It is, in many ways, a precondition for the poorest countries to make progress in their fight against poverty. The Pope asks us to pray that rich nations may provide debt relief, not to be merciful, but to be just. Already in 2000, the Jubilee year, Late Pope John Paul II had said: “an appropriate time…to reducing substantially, if not cancelling outright, the international debt which seriously threatens the future of many nations.” In fact the debt of poor nations is a human problem, affecting the well being of families, the survival of the poor, the bonds of community, and the security of the future. Many of the loans have already been repaid, in effect, as poor countries pay debt service without the ability to reduce the principle. Keeping in my mind the devotion in the month of June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who was always moved with pity for poor persons, we too ought to hold the poor of the world in our hearts. We are confronted with difficult economic times, along with the destitution of poor nations. As a start, the intention calls on rich nations to forgive the debts of poor nations so they can devote their resources to their own economic development, creating jobs, fighting diseases and education their children. We must remember that the human person is the most precious resource of any nation or any economy. With hearts of compassion towards the poor, we pray that our country will take the led in developing international policies that will help poor nations rise out of poverty.