Pope Benedict says his new encyclical on the economy and labour issues, due to be published at the end of this month, will focus on ways to make globalisation more responsive to the needs of the poor amid the worldwide financial crisis.

The document will outline the goals and values the faithful must "tirelessly defend" to ensure "true freedom and solidarity" among humans, Pope Benedict said, AP reports.

He said the global downturn shows the need to "rethink economic and financial paradigms that have been dominant in the last years."

The pope has been working on "Caritas in veritate" (Charity in Truth) since 2007 but recently said he had held back on issuing it so that he could update it to reflect the global economic crisis.

The encyclical is expected to be released June 29.

Pope Benedict followed up his earlier comments on Sunday saying that hundreds of millions of hungry people around the world are an absolutely unacceptable reality and the economic crisis should be seen as a chance for change, The Times of India says.

Speaking to a crowd gathered in St Peter's Square, he addressed his message to a June 24-26 UN conference in New York on the global downturn.

SOURCE

Pope's new encyclical will focus on economy (Associated Press)

Pope: world hunger absolutely unacceptable (Times of India)