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CBCP Pastoral Statement on the Celebration
of the 26th World Food Day
Today we celebrate the
twenty-sixth World Food Day. This occasion invites us not only to
reflect on the fact that millions of people all over the world live in a
state of inadequate food security, but more importantly, calls on
everyone to act in solidarity in the struggle against hunger,
malnutrition and poverty.
This year’s theme “Investing
in Agriculture for Food Security” highlights the concerted efforts
needed to counter global hunger and malnutrition. May this celebration
help the international community reaffirm the moral imperative of
solidarity and make them realize that actions are to be taken in finding
ways to fill the gap between the starve and satiated, rich and the poor,
those who are in need and those who unrestrainedly waste resources
according to their wishes.
The earth, due to its
fruitfulness and capacity to satisfy human needs, is God’s first gift
for the sustenance of human life with out excluding or favoring anyone.
Jesus demonstrated the concern for the hungry and the thirsty in many
accounts in the gospel: “He felt compassion for the multitude, for they
were hungry and lacked food” (Mark 6:34).
However, because of recent
developments in the liberalization of trade, food has become a scarce
resource for most people particularly in developing countries. Food and
nutrition insecurity prevails because of rising inequality in food
entitlements for some groups of people due to poverty. In the world
today, we see hunger in the midst of abundance. In the Philippines,
latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey showed that almost 700,000
families (about 3.5 million people) were experiencing severe hunger.
This despite the reported 5.7% increase in the 2005 gross national
product (GNP) and the appreciating value of the peso.
In the light of these
concerns and guided by faith, we call on basic ecclesiastical
communities, the faithful, and all men and women of good will to reflect
and work increasingly in the service of the hungry and the poor. We
encourage everyone to actively participate in joint and concerted
efforts addressing poverty and hunger and take part in establishing
well-planned and resolute programs of action that promotes peace and
justice through love and compassion for the poor. Let us continue
supporting groups like CBCP-NASSA and its Sustainable Agriculture
Program, Kaisampalad and their Seed of Hope Project, and other
like-minded organizations in taking direct action to combat hunger and
poverty.
We hope this year’s celebration of World Food Day serve to
remind everyone of the very human dimension of the tragedy of hunger and
poverty. May God “fill the hungry with good things,” and guided by the
Catholic Social Teachings founded on human dignity, integrity of
creation, subsidiarity, solidarity and preferential option for the poor,
may every individual person be inspired and find in his heart a renewed
"spirit of sharing".
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