In a letter sent to Silvio Berlusconi before the G8 summit in the earthquake shaken central city of L'Aquila, the Pope emphasised that the global recession was threatening a reduction in help to the poor.He asked G8 leaders to increase aid "aimed at the human person" because "it's one of the main ways of solving" the crisis.
The Pontiff did not mince his words. The world, he said, is "duty-bound" to rewrite the global financial rules. Measures must avoid "credit speculation and ensure wide availability of public and private credit in the service of production and work, especially in the most needy countries and regions".
Benedict XVI appealed to G8 leaders to "listen to the voice of Africa and of the countries that are less developed economically". He said the economic crisis means there is a "real risk not only that hopes to emerge from extreme poverty will be dashed, but that populations that so far have benefited from a minimum of material well-being will fall into poverty".
He also urged leaders to improve access to education and jobs, and to work to create a "fair international trade system" by completing the stalled Doha round of world trade talks.
The Pope added that government measures aimed at pulling the world out of its worst recession in six decades would be effective only if they have "ethical value". He called on the leaders to "reform the international financial architecture" to avoid the speculative operations blamed for the crisis and ensure public and private credit is made available for economic development and job creation, especially in poor regions.
Only if these leaders heed the Pontiff's proposal can the world be freed of the predicament of massive population movements involving human trafficking and related criminal activities.
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