Vatican City, May 13 (IANS/AKI) Defeating poverty is not just an economic issue but is above all a moral fight that requires social solidarity, Pope Francis said on Friday at the Vatican.
"The fight against poverty is not merely a technical economic problem, but above all a moral one, calling for global solidarity," Francis told business, charity, humanitarian aid and peace-building leaders.
Poverty and migration "transcend national and continental boundaries, and affect the entire human family," Francis said, urging greater social justice.
In the longer term, nations must develop political, social and economic policies that meet "the needs and aspirations of individuals and peoples worldwide," he said, quoted by Vatican Radio.
The pontiff gave the example of high youth unemployment rates, calling these "a scandal" and "a social ill".
