With finances tight everywhere and a global financial crisis making life difficult even for those with money, people can be tempted to worry only about their own situation and that of their family, Pope Benedict XVI said."At moments such as these it is tempting to overlook those without a voice and think only of our own difficulties," the pope told members of the U.S.-based Papal Foundation.
"As Christians we are aware, however, that especially when times are difficult we must work even harder to ensure that the consoling message of Our Lord is heard," the pope said during the meeting May 2 at the Vatican.
The Papal Foundation was established in 1990 and, in the name of the pope, has given more than $54 million in grants for the building of churches, seminaries, schools, hospitals and other projects for the care of the poor around the world.
In the midst of the financial crisis, the pope told the benefactors, "rather than turning in on ourselves, we must continue to be beacons of hope, strength and support for others, most especially those who have no one to watch over or assist them."
Pope Benedict praised the members of the Papal Foundation for being the kind of Christians "who continue to meet the challenges we face with courage and trust."
The foundation, he said, ensures that assistance continues to be carried out in the name of Christ and of his church.
Cardinal William H. Keeler, retired archbishop of Baltimore and vice president of the foundation, spoke on behalf of the group, which presented the pope with the list of 84 specific projects and dozens of scholarships funded this year for a total of more than $7.5 million.
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