Once again, as the new year begins, I want
to extend good wishes for peace to people everywhere. With this Message I would
like to propose a reflection on the theme: Fighting
Poverty to Build Peace.
Poverty is often a contributory factor or
a compounding element in conflicts, including armed ones. In turn, these
conflicts fuel further tragic situations of poverty. “Our world shows increasing evidence of another grave threat to peace: many individuals
and indeed whole peoples are living today in conditions of extreme poverty."
The gap between rich and poor has become
more marked, even in the most economically developed nations. This is a problem
which the conscience of humanity cannot ignore, since the conditions in which a
great number of people are living are an insult to their innate dignity and as
a result are a threat to the authentic and harmonious progress of the world
community”
In this context, fighting poverty requires attentive consideration of the
complex phenomenon of globalization. This is important from a
methodological standpoint, because it suggests drawing upon the fruits of
economic and sociological research into the many different aspects of poverty.
Yet the reference to globalization should also alert us to the spiritual and
moral implications of the question, urging us, in our dealings with the poor,
to set out from the clear recognition that we all share in a single divine
plan: we are called to form one family in which all – individuals, peoples and
nations – model their behaviour according to the principles of fraternity and
responsibility.
