f not most, food-borne diseases are in fact caused by the poor quality of the water used in their production, processing and preparation.
In order to guarantee fair access to water, it is vital to act without delay, to put an end once and for all to its waste, commodification and contamination. Collaboration between states, the public and private sectors, as well as an increase in initiatives by intergovernmental bodies, is more necessary than ever. There is also an urgent need for binding legal coverage and systematic and effective support to ensure that drinking water reaches all parts of the world in adequate quantity and quality.
Let us make haste, therefore, to give drink to the thirsty. Let us correct our lifestyles so that we do not waste and pollute. Let us become protagonists of that goodness which led Saint Francis of Assisi to describe water as a sister "who is very humble, and precious and chaste"! (Canticle of Creatures: FF263). These are resolutions I entrust to the Almighty to help us to carry them out to the best of our ability.
From the Vatican, 22 March 2021
Cardinal Pietro Parolin,
Secretary of State to His Holiness
Bulletin of the Holy See Press Office, 22 March 2021
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