Last Updated: Tuesday - 01/04/2011

Protect the poor, pope challenges G-8

VATICAN CITY — The leaders of the world's richest and most powerful nations must work to protect the rights of the world's poorest people in a global economy, Pope John Paul said.

Decisions regarding globalization must promote "the common good of the citizens of the whole world on the basis of the mandatory requirements of justice and solidarity," he said July 8.

The pope's comments came before the Sunday midday recitation of the Angelus prayer, two weeks before a July 20-22 summit in Genoa, Italy.

The leaders of the United States, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Canada, Italy, France and Russia were scheduled to attend the G-8 Summit.

Pope John Paul called for a moral reawakening in the face of "serious and sometimes dramatic problems in the economic-financial, sanitary, social, cultural, environmental and political order."

"Faith cannot leave the Christian indifferent in the face of such questions of global relevance," the pope said.

"The richest and most technically advanced peoples, made aware that God, the Creator and Father of all, wants to make humanity one family, must learn to listen to the cry of the many poor people in the world: They are simply asking for that which is their sacrosanct right," he said.

The pope said he wanted world leaders, and particularly those of the G-8, to know that the Church was committed to working to ensure that in the globalization process "humanity as a whole wins."

He also prayed for "a climate of agreement and serenity" in Genoa, where police have been preparing to deal with expected massive demonstrations against the G-8 leaders.

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