50 years ago: Pope John XXIII urges worldwide war against poverty and hunger

On May 14, 1961 Pope John XXIII, speaking at a celebration of the 70th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum, urged a worldwide war against hunger and poverty, saying, "The principle of solidarity between all human beings must be emphasized and exalted. It is necessary to recall and preach duty for communities and individuals and have an abundance of means of subsistence to aid those who are in difficult conditions." Rerum Novarum has been called the Magna Carta of Roman Catholic social principles.