LIFE OF THE ORDER
The Lenten message of the Spiritual Grand Prior of the Order
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Charity Dinner for Ukrainian Refugees
Sadly, the terrible war in Ukraine continues and the weapons are so often targeted on people's homes, so although the trauma of fleeing their country is awful, their fate had they remained would perhaps have been even worse. The Order of...
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CHRISTIANITY
CELEBRATION OF RECONCILIATION "24 HOURS FOR THE LORD"
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS “Whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ” (Phil 3:7). That is what Saint Paul tells us in the first reading. And if we ask ourselves what were...
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WORLDWIDE ALERT
The Pontifical Mission Societies, with the Pope, alongside the populations affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria
According to the latest estimates, there are more than 41 thousand victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria. A death toll that is...
read more
LATEST NEWS
LIFE OF THE ORDERCHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Charity Dinner for Ukrainian Refugees
Sadly, the terrible war in Ukraine continues and the weapons are so often targeted on people's homes, so although the trauma of fleeing their country is awful, their fate had they remained would perha...
read more
Sadly, the terrible war in Ukraine continues and the weapons are so often targeted on people's homes, so although the trauma of fleeing their country is awful, their fate had they remained would perha...
read more
CHRISTIANITY
CELEBRATION OF RECONCILIATION "24 HOURS FOR THE LORD"
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
“Whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ” (Phil 3:7). That is what Saint Paul tells us in the ...
read more
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
“Whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ” (Phil 3:7). That is what Saint Paul tells us in the ...
read more
WORLDWIDE ALERT
The Pontifical Mission Societies, with the Pope, alongside the populations affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria
According to the latest estimates, there are more than 41 thousand victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Tu...
read more
According to the latest estimates, there are more than 41 thousand victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Tu...
read more
MEMBERS AREA
SOCIAL LINKS
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES FACTS & FIGURESThe number of poor in the world fell from 1.9 to 1.4 billion people between 1981 and 2005, which, according to data from the World Bank, is below the poverty line of $1.25 per day per capita. More positive changes have occurred at the same time that the world population has increased. As a result, the poverty rate has been halved: from 52% to 26% of the world population.
However, this positive assessment must be qualified. The poverty line is considered extremely low: by doubling the threshold to $2.5 a day, there are now more than three billion people who could be considered poor; more than half of the planet. In sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of poor people increased between 1981 and 1996, then declined, but has remained unchanged ever since: half of its population lives on less than $1.25 days. Finally, the World Bank recognized, in 2005, that the global economic downturn resulted in soaring food and oil prices, which had dramatic consequences for the poorest people in the world.
Poverty: it is well known and acted on more and more. Every day 34,000 children and 24,000 adults die of hunger or diseases due to malnutrition.
These inequalities have existed for a long time and have fractured the North and South. Some nations have emerged from the ‘poor country’ status by the efficient use of their resources - as was the case in Brazil and India, who have become world powers. However, it should be noted that 1% of people in emerging countries control between 70% and 90% of the wealth of their country. The rest, i.e. 99% of population, live in misery and poverty.
Even today, more than a million women die each year from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, cases which are easily treatable and can be prevented. According to a report, it is likely that one woman in six in sub-Saharan Africa dies in these conditions, while the ratio in developed countries is 1 in 3,800.
A second area of concern is the number of children who are malnourished. This figure will rise to more than 30 million children in 2015.
A third concern is the devastation caused by HIV-AIDS. In 2006, the disease claimed more than 2.9 million people; the number of deaths is increasing. The preventive measures which have been applied so far have failed to halt the spread of the disease. In 2005, over 15 million children had lost one or both parents to AIDS.
A fourth major issue is that in 2005 1.6 billion people in developing countries lacked access to basic health systems. It is expected that there will be another 600 million people by 2015 if the current trends continue.
This highlights the fact that the profits of economic growth in developing countries have not been distributed equitably and that, especially in West Asia, the income of the poorest people has declined dramatically (namely between 1990 and 2004).
Finally, global emissions of greenhouse gas have continued to rise; from 23 billion tonnes in 1990 to 29 billion in 2004. The devastating effects of global warming continue to be a major obstacle in the path to achieving the global Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
However, it is clear that underdevelopment and inequality in the world is not inevitable. Between 1981 and 2005, the poverty rate in East Asia decreased from 79% to 18% and from 84% to 16% in China alone. The situation of the poorest countries can improve.
However, this positive assessment must be qualified. The poverty line is considered extremely low: by doubling the threshold to $2.5 a day, there are now more than three billion people who could be considered poor; more than half of the planet. In sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of poor people increased between 1981 and 1996, then declined, but has remained unchanged ever since: half of its population lives on less than $1.25 days. Finally, the World Bank recognized, in 2005, that the global economic downturn resulted in soaring food and oil prices, which had dramatic consequences for the poorest people in the world.
Poverty: it is well known and acted on more and more. Every day 34,000 children and 24,000 adults die of hunger or diseases due to malnutrition.
These inequalities have existed for a long time and have fractured the North and South. Some nations have emerged from the ‘poor country’ status by the efficient use of their resources - as was the case in Brazil and India, who have become world powers. However, it should be noted that 1% of people in emerging countries control between 70% and 90% of the wealth of their country. The rest, i.e. 99% of population, live in misery and poverty.
Even today, more than a million women die each year from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, cases which are easily treatable and can be prevented. According to a report, it is likely that one woman in six in sub-Saharan Africa dies in these conditions, while the ratio in developed countries is 1 in 3,800.
A second area of concern is the number of children who are malnourished. This figure will rise to more than 30 million children in 2015.
A third concern is the devastation caused by HIV-AIDS. In 2006, the disease claimed more than 2.9 million people; the number of deaths is increasing. The preventive measures which have been applied so far have failed to halt the spread of the disease. In 2005, over 15 million children had lost one or both parents to AIDS.
A fourth major issue is that in 2005 1.6 billion people in developing countries lacked access to basic health systems. It is expected that there will be another 600 million people by 2015 if the current trends continue.
This highlights the fact that the profits of economic growth in developing countries have not been distributed equitably and that, especially in West Asia, the income of the poorest people has declined dramatically (namely between 1990 and 2004).
Finally, global emissions of greenhouse gas have continued to rise; from 23 billion tonnes in 1990 to 29 billion in 2004. The devastating effects of global warming continue to be a major obstacle in the path to achieving the global Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
However, it is clear that underdevelopment and inequality in the world is not inevitable. Between 1981 and 2005, the poverty rate in East Asia decreased from 79% to 18% and from 84% to 16% in China alone. The situation of the poorest countries can improve.
