"POPULORUM PROGRESSIO" FOUNDATION COMMEMORATES 10 YEARS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 9, 2002 (VIS) - A message from the Holy Father to Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of the "Populorum Progressio" Foundation, was made public today. The institution, whose administrative council is meeting from July 6 to 13 in Sucre, Bolivia, celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. Msgr. Cordes is also president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum".

In the message dated June 14, the Pope thanks those who started the foundation and promoted its activities, which are primarily directed towards indigenous, mixed and afro-american populations in Latin American.

"Between 1993 and 2001," he recalls, "1,596 projects have been helped, for a total of $13,142,529, thanks particularly to the generosity of Italian Catholics ... and through gifts of other benefactors and Church organizations. It is noteworthy that the particular Churches in Latin America also participate in financing the projects."

John Paul II affirms that the "social situation is unfortunately very difficult in various parts of Latin America. The states and the particular Churches of these countries, each in its own area of responsibility, must work to improve the conditions of life for everyone, to the exclusion of no one. The underlying causes are aggravated also by the presence of injustice and corruption. Moreoever, in some countries, the external debt has reached astronomical figures and impedes economic development."

"For us Christians," he concludes, "the word of God ... exhorts us to worry about our brothers and sisters who are truly in need. Besides, our role as evangelizers leads us to this, since there is an intimate connection between evangelization and human promotion."

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