POPE DECRIES USURY, "THE EXPLOITATIONS OF NEEDS OF OTHERS"

VATICAN CITY, NOV 22, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul II, at the end of today's general audience held in St. Peter's Square, greeted the 35,000 pilgrims present in numerous languages including French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Czech, Croatian, Slovakian and Slovenian.

In greeting Italian-language pilgrims, the Pope welcomed "with affection the members of the National Council of Anti-usury Foundations and the delegations of the various regional foundations who have come to sensitize everyone about the worrisome phenomenon of usury and its dramatic social implications. Dear friends, the Pope is close to you and encourages you to continue in your generous commitment to fight this merciless exploitation of the needs of others.
"Usury is a spreading social plague and it is absolutely necessary to come to the assistance of those who find themselves involved in this network of injustice and serious sufferings. I hope with all my heart that, in the context of the Jubilee Year, thanks to everyone's contribution, concrete steps may be undertaken to eliminate this great social scourge."

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