Mattarella: ‘New forms of poverty to tackle in the country’

Rome, 20 January (LaPresse) – ‘The Pio office has always been guided by two firmly held principles: autonomy from public power and attention to the weakest and most vulnerable,’ providing “concrete support for those in fragile circumstances. And with these two principles, it has always remained true to itself, despite the profound changes it has faced, which have swept through this great city.” These were the words of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, speaking at the Gallerie d’Italia of Intesa Sanpaolo in Turin, where the celebration of the 430th anniversary of the Fondazione Ufficio Pio della Compagnia di Sanpaolo is taking place. “Today, of course, we have different conditions compared to previous centuries. We have had an extremely clear and valuable indication of this from what we have read and heard from the testimonies that have been presented, which have depicted needs, expectations, prospects, dreams, projects and paths to overcome difficulties. This is what the Ufficio Pio Foundation is committed to today, and it is a condition that has new fronts to tackle. New forms of poverty exist in our country, in this city as in all others in our country and beyond; the difficult conditions that characterise the hardships of so many young people; the conditions of migrants; the difficulties in finding work and housing, all problems that the Ufficio Pio is tackling and which are the frontier for escaping, as the apt expression goes, the trap of poverty,’ added the Head of State.