Just inside the entrance of Vatican Radio, 30 photographs dedicated to the theme of poverty have gone on display, giving a face to the men, women and children who live each day without the basic necessities for life.
The photography exhibition, entitled “Why Poverty?”, is part of a broader initiative of the same name which aims to bring awareness of the millions of people who live today in extreme poverty.
Made possible by the Prospettiva 8 Cultural Association, the exhibition, which was inaugurated today, is being hosted by Vatican Radio from December 9-14.
Mounted on simple planks of raw plywood, the photos provide a glimpse into the lives of those who live in extreme poverty: images of children scavenging through garbage and living in squalor; elderly men and women begging on the streets; people curled up on the floor of a train station, trying to stay warm as they sleep.
Each photo is accompanied by an excerpt from the popes from the past century on the theme of poverty.
“Believing in Jesus”, reads one of the excerpts taken from the words of Pope Francis, means “giving him our hands, to caress the little ones and the poor.”
The inauguration of the “Why Poverty?” exhibition comes hours after Pope Francis, during his weekly general audience address, described hunger as a “scandal.”
The photos being displayed in the “Why Poverty?” can also be viewed on Vatican Radio’s website.
