Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Primate of the Catholic Church of England and Wales, has planned a fast and prayer day for today, in order to support the United Nations summit in favour of the development objectives of the Millennium, taking place next September 25th. The so-called "Millennium goals" are eight: elimination of poverty, primary education for everybody, sex parity, reduction in children mortality, fight against AIDS and other diseases. They are included in the "Millennium Declaration" which was adopted by 189 countries and signed by 147 heads of State and government during the "Summit of United Nations" in September 2000. The appeal in favour of fast and prayer was launched by the Catholic Primate together with the bishop of London, Richard Chartres, and by other religious leaders. "In the South of Africa, I was amazed to realize the level of poverty, sickness and sufferance affecting so many people; much of this sufferance can be relieved", declared the cardinal. "We must go on insisting with the people in power, for they must defeat poverty all over the world. At present, we are late with respect to the commitments we have undertaken, but governments must keep the promises they have made". ” “
