Dilma acknowledges church's cooperation in overcoming poverty

Criado em 23/07/13 12h06 e atualizado em 23/07/13 14h09
Por Akemi Nitahara Edição:Nádia Franco/ Nira Foster Fonte:Agência Brasil

Rio de Janeiro – After a Popemobile tour of the downtown streets of Rio, Pope Francis attended a reception at the Guanabara Palace, which houses the Rio state government. President Dilma Rousseff greeted the pontiff and said that all 50 million Brazilian youth welcome pilgrims to World Youth Day with open arms.

The president said that the pontiff's visit provides a timely occasion to strengthen dialogue between Brazil and the Holy See and advance  shared values. “We fight a common enemy – inequality in all its forms,” the president pointed out in her speech, emphasizing that the Brazilian State respects diversity and welcomes all religions.

President Dilma also mentioned the government's “gap-bridging approach” to curb inequality in the country through income distribution and anti-poverty programs, and said she believes that the church can be a partner in replicating Brazil's experiences in other countries.

“Brazil has proudly achieved positive results in overcoming poverty over the past few years,” Dilma declared. According to her, the government has relied on the church's cooperation in this process: "The Catholic social pastoral activities have been an invaluable partner for the government in safeguarding the rights of children and teenagers”.

Edition: Nádia Franco/ Nira Foster
Translation: Mayra Borges/