Pope Francis received a very special souvenir from Spain: members of the Agrarian Association of Young Farmers brought Spanish ham to the Apostolic Palace.
Some packets of ham and chorizo from other areas of Spain are here. I am sure it will be good, Your Holiness, because it has been prepared with a lot of love.
The Pope thanked the farmers for the gifts and warned of the dangers of food shortages in impoverished regions, as has occurred in the Horn of Africa in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
POPE FRANCIS
It is necessary to work so that this immense good that God gives us does not become a weapon, for example, by limiting the arrival of food to populations in conflict. And that it does not become a means of profit.
The Pope also warned against ideological colonizations and laws that attack the dignity of those who work in the field.
POPE FRANCIS
One embraces hard work because with animals, there are no holidays or strikes. It is even more difficult to accept the misunderstanding of those who do not value something as essential to life as food production or prefer to place blame on others instead of creating solutions.
Before their departure, the visitors gifted the Pope with an image of the Virgin of Los Llanos, the patron saint of the Spanish city of Albacete.
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