Pope Francis said in a video message Friday to the Expo world's fair inauguration that his is "the voice of pilgrims throughout the world". "Mine is the voice of the many poor who...with dignity, try to earn their bread with the sweat of their brow," Francis said.
"I'd like to speak for so many brothers and sisters, Christians and non-Christians, whom God has loved and for whom he has taught us to pray for our daily bread". Expo, whose theme is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life, is a chance "to globalize solidarity", the pontiff said.
"May it not be just a theme or a wasted opportunity," Francis went on. "Let (Expo) be accompanied by consciousness and the faces of the millions who go hungry today, who won't eat today," he said.
"Expo belongs to the paradox of abundance if it conforms to the culture of waste...and fails to contribute to equal and sustainable development," Francis warned.
"Let us make it an occasion for a change of mentality so people will stop thinking their daily actions don't impact" the hungry, said Francis. The pope also recalled the "anonymous" faces of the construction workers who made Expo a reality.
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