” “”Pope Benedict XVI acknowledges the necessity to collect the necessary funds in a short time, with the aim of reducing poverty, hunger, lack of education opportunities”, and to support “the struggle against the scourge of malaria and the spreading of HIV-AIDS and tuberculosis”. Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said that, today. Thus, he explained the decision by the Pope “and by the Holy See” to “take part in the programme of the International Financing Facility for Immunisation (IFFIM)”, which put its bonds up for sale, from today. Today, in London, during the purchase of the first one of those bonds in the name of the Pope, on thanking the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown (upholding the initiative), Cardinal Martino stated that “the Catholic Church shows its deep concern for the needs of everyone with consistency, especially for the needs of the poor”, who have been waiting for “real measures” (such as debt cancellation) for years. “Pope Benedict, – concluded the Cardinal, – hopes the participation of the Church in this programme will foster others to start carrying out concrete actions”. ” “
