(Vatican Radio) The President of Caritas Internationalis, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez
Maradiaga, has written a Lenten Message reminding Christians of their responsibility
to help end hunger in the world. Reflecting on the plight of some 800 million people
who go hungry each day, he says each one of us can live more simply, waste less and
be more conscious of how we use our resources. Philippa Hitchen takes a closer look:
Listen:
Honduran Cardinal
Maradiaga quotes from Pope Francis’ Lenten message, noting that when power and money
become idols, they take priority over the need for a fair distribution of the world's
wealth. Our consciences therefore need to be converted to justice, equality, simplicity
and sharing.As we start our Lenten journey, we are invited to consider what those
words mean for each one of us: What is justice? Where is there inequality? How can
my life be more simple? With whom can I share?
The Cardinal urges everyone
to reflect on the Pope’s words and to support the Caritas Internationalis campaign
that he helped to launch last December. Entitled ‘One Human Family: Food for All’,
the campaign unites the efforts of the 164 members of the Caritas confederation worldwide
to work towards ending hunger by 2025
Read the full Lenten message from
Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga: 'Equality, simplicity and sharing'
Many
years ago, I used to teach math. But despite my mathematical training, there’s one
equation that just doesn’t add up for me: the 85 richest people in the world have
as much wealth as half the global population put together.
In his Lenten message
this year, Pope Francis said, “When power, luxury and money become idols, they take
priority over the need for a fair distribution of wealth. Our consciences thus need
to be converted to justice, equality, simplicity and sharing.”
As we start
on our Lenten journey, each one of us is invited to reflect on what the words of Pope
Francis mean for us. What is justice? Where is there inequality? How can my life be
more simple? With whom can I share?
Caritas Internationalis launched the ‘One
Human Family, Food for All’ campaign before Christmas. The campaign offers an opportunity
to answer Pope Francis’s invitation. We believe that it is a fundamental injustice
that over 800 million people in the world are hungry. These people wouldn’t be hungry
if there were greater equality in wealth and resources were shared more fairly. Each
of us can live more simply, consume less, waste less and be more conscious of our
choices. Sharing – our bread, our resources, ourselves - is the cornerstone of our
faith and a solution to global hunger.
In the run up to Lent here in Rome,
all the children dress up for the tradition of ‘carnivale’. The face of Jesus Christ
is also present in many guises and we may not recognise him at first glance. We may
ignore his call if we’re not attentive. “He does not reveal himself cloaked in worldly
power and wealth but rather in weakness and poverty,” said Pope Francis. Lent
is a call to taste people’s hunger and touch their poverty with our very fingers.
It is a time to join hands with our brothers and sisters who are part of the 3.5 billion
poor in the world. As the Americans would say, it’s time to “do the math”. Please
support the Caritas One Human Family, Food for All campaign to eliminate global hunger
by 2025. You can act by donating online at www.caritas.org or by doing something large
or small in your community to help the poor and vulnerable.
Yours in Christ,
Oscar
Andrès Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga SDB President, Caritas Internationalis
Watch
the video ‘Lenten recipe’ that Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga released to accompany
his Lenten message: