Pope Francis says "Access to water, especially clean drinking water, is now a critical point for the present and the near future of the human family." FULL TEXT

GREETING FROM THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE VOLUNTEERING ORGANIZATION
"I HAVE THIRST"

Sala Clementina
Monday, 21 March 2022

_____________________________

 

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

I thank the President for her words and I am happy to welcome you ten years after the beginning of your volunteer experience. Since then it has united a clear and urgent objective: to bring drinking water to those who do not have it. And the words of Jesus: "I was thirsty" ( Mt 25:35), became your name and your motto. I congratulate you!

Access to water, especially clean drinking water, is now a critical point for the present and the near future of the human family (cf. Enc. Laudato si ' , 27-31 ). It is a priority issue for the life of the planet and for peace among peoples. It affects us all. However, in the world, especially in Africa, there are populations that suffer more than others from the lack of access to this primary good. Therefore you have carried out your humanitarian projects in Africa, in many countries, in different regions of the continent. This is very nice. It is also very beautiful that the work is always done with local workers and in collaboration with the missionaries and ecclesial communities of the area.

"I was thirsty and you gave me to drink", Jesus says, and adds: "All that you did to one of these least of my brothers, you did it to me" ( Mt 25,35.40). Dear friends, thirst does not hurt when there is plenty of water to drink. But we know that if this is lacking, and it is missing for a long time, thirst can become unbearable. Life on Earth depends on water; even that of us human beings. We all need sister water to live!

Why, then, go to war over conflicts that we should resolve by speaking as men? Why not rather join our forces and our resources to fight together the real battles of civilization: the fight against hunger and thirst; the fight against diseases and epidemics; the fight against poverty and slavery today. Because? Certain choices are not neutral: allocating a large part of the expenditure to arms means taking it away for something else, which means continuing to take it away once again from those who lack the necessary. And this is a scandal: the spending on weapons. How much is spent on weapons, terrible! I don't know what percentage of GDP, I don't know, I don't get the exact figure, but a high percentage. And it is spent on weapons to make wars, not only this one, which is very serious, which we are experiencing now, and we feel it more because it is closer, but in Africa, in the Middle East, in Asia, wars continue. This is serious. It is necessary to create the awareness that continuing to spend on dirty weapons dirties the soul, dirties the heart, dirties humanity. What is the use of all together, solemnly, at the international level, in the campaigns against poverty, against hunger, against the degradation of the planet, if we then fall back into the old vice of war, into the old strategy of the power of armaments, which brings back everything and all backwards? Always a war brings you back, always. Let's walk back. You will have to start over again. What is the use of all together, solemnly, at the international level, in the campaigns against poverty, against hunger, against the degradation of the planet, if we then fall back into the old vice of war, into the old strategy of the power of armaments, which brings back everything and all backwards? Always a war brings you back, always. Let's walk back. You will have to start over again. What is the use of all together, solemnly, at the international level, in the campaigns against poverty, against hunger, against the degradation of the planet, if we then fall back into the old vice of war, into the old strategy of the power of armaments, which brings back everything and all backwards? Always a war brings you back, always. Let's walk back. You will have to start over again.

Dear brothers and sisters, as you can see, your organization, certainly small compared to these great problems, however, works on a critical point, and it does it well, in the right way; as many other voluntary organizations do, thanks be to God, in Italy and around the world. And on this I want to say that it was a surprise for me to find such strong volunteering here in Italy: I have not seen it in other parts. This is your cultural, Italian heritage, which you must keep well. You have valid volunteering, and this association is also valid volunteering. For this I say thank you and I encourage you to go forward in your commitment. I cordially bless all of you and all those who work with you in the various projects. And I also ask you for the gift of praying for me. Thank you!

Source: Vatican.va