Pope Benedict XVI has joined in the voices calling to the Group of Eight nations to take real steps towards alleviating the debt of some of the world’s poorest nations in the world as well as aiding the development of Africa.

In his message to the Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien for the "Make Poverty History" rally, the Pope sent greetings to "all who are gathered for this event, united by their concern for the welfare of millions of our brothers and sisters afflicted by extreme poverty."

The Pope also quoted part of the Scriptures as a reminder of the moral responsibility held by those in power: "As the Second Vatican Council teaches, ‘God intended the earth and all it contains for the use of everyone and of all peoples; so that the good things of creation should be available to all."

Around 225,000 people took part in the rally in Edinburgh’s city centre on Saturday, all dressed in white.

The Pope reaffirmed this message to the crowds gathered for the midday Angelus in St. Peter’s Square today: "I wish for the total success of this important meeting, hoping that it will lead to sharing with solidarity the expenses of debt reduction, to implementing concrete measures to eradicate poverty and to promoting the genuine development of Africa."

The Pope concluded his message by calling the leaders and people of the eight most powerful nations in the world to use their political and financial clout to fulfil a moral duty to other less fortunate countries, and not to leave promises empty.

"For this reason, people from the world’s richest countries should be prepared to accept the burden of debt reduction for heavily indebted poor countries, and should urge their leaders to fulfil the pledges made to reduce world poverty, especially in Africa, by the year 2015."

"His Holiness prays for the participants in the rally and for the world leaders soon to gather at Gleneagles, that they may all play their part in ensuring a more just distribution of the world’s goods."

"In the ardent hope that the scourge of global poverty may one day be consigned to history, he cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing."

The G8 Summit will take place tomorrow, Wednesday 6th July till Friday 8th July, in Gleneagles, Scotland.