Pope Francis condemned profit-driven societies in which he said there are no longer just wages or working hours, and which make people vulnerable to exploitation.
The Pope's words came in his message for the sixth World Day of the Poor which the Church will observe worldwide on November 13. This year's theme is inspired by a passage from Corinthians: “For your sakes Christ became poor.”
The pontiff also denounced the “great poverty” produced by armed conflict, and lamented how the war in Ukraine broke out just as the world was emerging from the pandemic and showing signs of an economic recovery.
In the Vatican's presentation of the Pope's message, Archbishop Rino Fisichella emphasized the need to draw from experiences of poverty to overcome the challenges facing society.
ABP. RINO FISICHELLA
President, Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation
It is essential to gain strength from the experience of the past two years that has enabled everyone, no one excluded, to experience a form of poverty such as weakness, a sense of limitation, fear, lack of affection, and so much more.
Although the Vatican has not yet announced how the Pope will be observing this year's World Day of the Poor, in previous years he hosted a lunch for people in need at the Vatican, and last year he traveled to Assisi to meet with poor people from around the world and hear their stories.
JM
