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Vatican City, 14th June 2007 (CNA) - Aid
organizations must bring more than material aid to truly help those in need,
said Pope Benedict. They must bring “the joyful witness of those who have
met the Lord,” which will “be a light to illuminate the way of people
seeking a more dignified life," the pontiff emphasized.
The Holy Father made these remarks in a meeting with the administrative
council of the “Populorum Progressio” Foundation in Rome gathered for their
annual assembly.
The foundation was started in 1992 by Pope John Paul II to serve poor rural
communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. John Paul II founded the
group because he saw the need to help people “whose ancestral customs are
threatened by postmodern culture, and who risk seeing the destruction of
their traditions which are so ready to accept the truth of the Gospel.”
Pope Benedict praised two of the aspects that distinguish Populorum
Progressio from other organizations: the first is the concept of 'integral
promotion'," which "takes the social and material aspect of life into
account, as well as the announcement of faith which gives full meaning to
man's life, and the second is the consultation of local bishops in approving
aid to communities.
The practice of “integral promotion” satisfies the real poverty of those in
need said the Pope. “[M]an's real poverty is his lack of hope, the absence
of a Father to give meaning to his existence."
According to the Holy Father, the unique practice of consulting the local
bishops is admirable because, “the decision rests in the hands of people who
well know the problems and concrete needs of those peoples."
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