Vatican City, 24 April 2007 – Pope Benedict XVI has called on G8 leaders to use their upcoming meeting in Heiligendamm, Germany to focus on helping the world's poor through debt cancellation and more and better aid.

The Pope called on the G8 to take the lead on fighting poverty as its highest priority in letters he has written to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the Vatican has just released.

The Pope's letter, dated 16 December, said, "I welcome the fact that the question of poverty, with specific reference to Africa, now appears on the agenda of the G8.

"It should be given the highest attention and priority, for the sake of poor and rich countries alike.

"Provision must also be made for the rapid, total and unconditional cancellation of the external debt of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and of the Least Developed Countries

"Moreover, a substantial investment of resources for research and for the development of medicines to treat AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other tropical diseases is needed."

Caritas Internationalis has been part of the global Make Aid Work campaign calling on G8 leaders to live up to their promises on tackling poverty.

 Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Duncan MacLaren said, "We must use the opportunity of the G8 meeting in Germany to hold governments to account for the promises that they made, and to call on them to ensure that aid really works to help stop the scandal of poverty."

The main asks of the Make Aid Work campaign to the G8 are to publish a clear timetable for meeting the financial promises made in 2005, to ensure that new lending is responsible and does not lead to a renewed debt crisis, and to ensure that the aid and debt relief they give, and that is provided through the World Bank and European Union, is not tied to conditions which are unacceptable to developing countries and their people.

Merkel's response to the Pope, dated 2 February, said, "For me it is crucial that G8 relations with Africa move towards a reform partnership."

"Alongside increased efforts on the part of African countries, we attach importance to greater commitment of the international communities. After all, only if all strong players in the world shoulder their responsibility will we be able to build more justice and peace."

For more information, contact: Nancy McNally, Tel: +39 06 69879752  Mobile: +39 334 2344 136 mcnally@caritas.va or visit www.caritas.org