VATICAN – Pope Francis has encouraged the world’s poor to fight for their land, housing and labour rights, shrugging off suggestions that his concern for their plight made him a “communist”.
Francis said this on Tuesday in Vatican City at the World Meeting of Popular Movements, which represents grassroot organisations fighting for landless farmers, homeless people, the unemployed and other disenfranchised groups.
He said all parents wish to give their children some land, a roof and a job.
“It is strange that if I talk about these things, some people think that the Pope is a communist,” he said.
“They do not understand that loving the poor is at the heart of the Gospel. Land, housing and work, which you are fighting for, are sacred rights,’’ he added.
Francis said to demand them was not strange because it was the social doctrine of the Catholic Church. (dpa/NAN)
