- Safiu Kehinde
Prominient Catholic Church Leader, Pope Francis, has expressed concern over the spending of billions of dollars on wars and conflicts while millions of children go hungry.
This was contained in an X post shared on Monday by the World Trade Organization’s Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who visited the Pope alongside with judging panel of the Zyayed Award for Human Fraternity.
Okono-Iweala said the Pope expressed his worry over the state of the world where billions of dollars are spent on wars and conflicts at the detriment of millions of starving children.
The former Nigerian Minister of Finance said the committee comprising of former Senegalese President, Macky Sall, Ex-Spain Prime Minister, Rodríguez Zapatero, and Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Social Sciences, Peter Turkson, visited the Pope brief him on the update committee’s activities.
Pope Francis, according to Okonjo-Iweala, urged the committee to pull up those who fight for causes and serve others bringing hope in a troubled world.
“A beautiful meeting at the Vatican of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity judging panel with His Holiness Pope Francis who with His Eminence Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Ahmed Al Tayeb signed the accord that originated this important Humanitarian Award.
“Updating the Pope about the work of the Committee.
“His Holiness was most worried about the state of the world and the hundreds of millions especially children going to bed hungry whilst billions of dollars are spent on wars and conflicts.
“Yet the Pope wants to signal hope particularly to encourage young people and the award seeks to pull up those who fight for causes and serve others bringing hope in a troubled world,” Okonjo-Iweala wrote.