Cardinal sees malnutrition, lack of education as ‘horrendous double helix’

November 05, 2013

In a November 4 address, Cardinal Peter Turkson, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, spoke of “the situation, both tragic and scandalous, of millions of impoverished human beings who lack nourishment for body, mind and spirit, that is, both food and education,” according to a Vatican Radio report.

Addressing a working group of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences that is exploring the topic of “Bread and Brain, Education and Poverty,” Cardinal Turkson said that

malnutrition of mind and body – lack of food and lack of learning – is a horrendous double helix. It must be addressed with great urgency, but not only by sound scientific research and solid social policies in order to achieve real improvements in education, food production and distribution, sustainable agriculture and nutrition security. As a coefficient of development or under-development, it must be addressed, above all, with a rediscovered sense of Christian humanism, characterized by solidarity and brotherhood.

“In the Lord’s Prayer we address not ‘my’ but ‘our’ Father, we plead not for ‘my’ but for ‘our’ daily bread,” he added. “By saying ‘our’ and praying on behalf of everyone who shares a single common origin in God our Creator, we engage ourselves to take up the task of producing and distributing food and of making education available to all his sons and daughters, to all our brothers and sisters.”

 

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Further information:

• Cardinal Turkson on Education and Poverty (Vatican Radio)