The pope deplores that the "rich" feast on what belongs to all

VATICAN CITY – Defending the cause of the poor, Pope Francis on Sunday deplored that "the richest" enjoy what "justice belongs to all" and said that Christians can not remain indifferent to the growing cries of the exploited and indigent, including migrants.

Francis invited about 6,000 destitute people, as well as some volunteers, who helped them to admire the splendor of St. Peter's Basilica, where he celebrated Mass one day dedicated by the Catholic Church to the needy. Later, he sat with 1,500 indigents for a luncheon consisting of lasagna, chicken, mashed potatoes and tiramisu in a Vatican auditorium.

In his homily, Francis said: "We Christians can not stand idly by in the face of indifference or arms stretched in helplessness" about people in need. He cited the "muffled cry" of unborn children, hungry children, "young people more accustomed to bomb blasts than shouts of joy on the playground".

He also drew attention to the plight of abandoned elderly people, people without friends and "the cry of all those who were forced to flee their homes and their homelands for an uncertain future. It is the cry of whole peoples, deprived even of the great natural resources at their disposal. "

Francis said that the poor were crying "while the few rich are feasting on what belongs to everyone in justice. Injustice is the perverse root of poverty. "

"The cry of the poor becomes stronger every day but every day less heard," he said. This cry is "drowned by the din of the few rich, who become less and less rich," said the pontiff.

Last week, doctors, nurses and other health care workers dedicated their time to providing medical assistance to the homeless and other needs from morning to night in St. Peter's Square. The initiative reflects Francis' determination that the Vatican promotes as an example of priorities for the grassroots faithful.

At Sunday Mass Francis said that "it is important for all of us to live our faith in touch with those in need."

Later, in an address to the pilgrims and tourists of Saint Peter's Square, Francis spoke of the futility of making wealth his goal. He noted that at the end of each life "the power of money and economic means with which we presumably presume to buy everything and that everyone can no longer be used".

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