Pope: Hunger could be eradicated with the money spent on arms in a year
By Linda Bordoni
“This war [in Ukraine] troubles me, it makes me suffer,” said Pope Francis addressing a group of members of the Buenos Aires-based Seminario Rabinico Latino Americano.
Speaking off the cuff to a delegation of the Buenos Aires-based Seminario on Friday morning, the Pope reflected on the fact that “if no weapons were made for a year, hunger in the world would end,” because he explained, “I think it's the biggest industry.”
Wars are waged, the Holy Father continued, when empires feel weak: killing people and using weapons makes them feel strong.
And he noted that the arms industry is fuelled by the need to make new weapons that also have to be tested.
A culture of meekness
The Pope also pointed to the promotion of “a culture of meekness” and quoted the Prophet Jeremiah who opposed a culture of cruelty inviting Christians to understand their faith and bear witness to fraternity.
And reflecting on how he is sometimes criticised for his frequent focus on social justice, the Holy Father said “They say to me: ‘This Pope, instead of talking about God, is talking about social things.'”
But he added, throughout the Bible, justice and faith go together: “In other words, worship and service, worship and solidarity.”
Thus, the Pope said, we must strive so that our faith leads to good works and that our works lead us to faith: “it’s a circle!”
The Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano
Founded in 1962 by Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer, the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano, the Jewish Theological Seminary’s educational affiliate, is the academic, cultural, and religious center of Conservative (Masorti) Judaism in Latin America. It is located in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with satellites in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico.
The main goal of the Seminario is to train and ordain rabbis with the aim of spreading and perpetuating Judaism in Latin American communities.
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