Catholic Church worried about Italy's 'state of health'

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 21 - Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the president of the Italian Bishops' Conference (CEI), on Tuesday expressed concern about Italy's state of health, sounding the alarm about poverty levels here. "The health of the country is of particular concern," Zuppi, who is also archbishop of Bologna, said as he opened the 79th CEI General Assembly "It is increasingly difficult to get out of the abyss of destitution. Chronic poverty and intermittent poverty, relating to households that oscillate 'in' and 'out' of a condition of need, are growing.
    "Furthermore, the generation gap is widening: young people are increasingly exposed to economic hardship and the gap created by those who tend to drift away from political participation and voluntary work is increasing". (ANSA).