Roswell, Georgia, United States for Thursday, 19 May 2016
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Pope: Reparation for Exploiting the Poor Will Take a Lot of Penance by Kathleen Naab
Drawing from today’s forceful reading from the Book of James, which asserts that “the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud,” Pope Francis likened those who exploit the poor to bloodsuckers.
According to Vatican Radio, the Pope at daily Mass in Casa Santa Marta today considered both the correct attitude toward money and the falsehood of the so-called “prosperity Gospel.”
“Riches in themselves are good,” the Pope explained, but they are “relative, not absolute” goods.
He criticized the so-called theology of prosperity— according to which “God shows you that you are just if He give you great riches,” saying those who follow it are mistaken.
Attachment to wealth is like a chain that takes away “the freedom to follow Jesus,” he said.
“When riches are created by exploiting the people, by those rich people who exploit [others], they take advantage of the work of the people, and those poor people become slaves. We think of the here and now, the same thing happens all over the world. ‘I want to work.’ ‘Good, they’ll make you a contract, from September to June.’ Without a pension, without health care… Then they suspend it, and in July and August they have to eat air. And in September, they laugh at you about it. Those who do that are true bloodsuckers, and they live by spilling the blood of the people who they make slaves of labour.”
Grave sin
Pope Francis recalled how a young girl once told him about having found a job, working 11 hours a day for 650 euro a month, paid under the table. And they told her, “If that’s ok with you, take it; if not, get lost. There’s nothing else!”
These rich people, he said, “grow fat on their riches”—but the Apostle warns: “You have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.” “The blood of all these people that you have sucked,” and on which “you have lived, is a cry to the Lord, it is a cry of justice. The exploitation of the people,” the Pope said, “is today truly a form of slavery.”
“We might think, he continued, that slaves no longer exists: they exist. It’s true, people no longer go to Africa to capture them in order to sell them in America, no. But it is in our cities. And there are these traffickers, these people who treat the working people without justice.”
“Yesterday, in the Audience, we meditated on the rich glutton and Lazarus. But, this rich man was in his own world, he didn’t realize that on the other side of the door of his house, there was someone who was starving. But this is worse. That rich man, at least, did not realize, and left the other man to die of hunger. But this is worse. This is starving the people with their work for my own profit! Living on the blood of the people. And this is a mortal sin. This is a mortal sin. And this demands a great deal of penance, a great deal of restitution, in order to be converted from this sin.”
The Pope also told the story of the death of a miser. The people joked: “The funeral was ruined,” they said. “They couldn’t close the coffin,” because “he wanted to take all that he had with him, and he couldn’t.” “No one can take their riches with them,” the Pope said.
“We consider this drama of today: the exploitation of the people, the blood of these people who become slaves, the traffickers of people—and not just those who deal in prostitutes and children for child labour, but that trafficking we might call ‘civilized’: ‘I’ll pay you this much, without vacation, without health care, without… everything under the table… But I will become rich!’ May the Lord make us understand today the simplicity that Jesus speaks to us of in the Gospel of today: a glass of water in the name of Christ is more important than all the riches accumulated through the exploitation of the people.”
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Readings provided by the US bishops’ conference:
Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 JAS 5:1-6
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
Responsorial Psalm PS 49:14-15AB, 15CD-16, 17-18, 19-20
R. (Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
This is the way of those whose trust is folly,
the end of those contented with their lot:
Like sheep they are herded into the nether world;
death is their shepherd and the upright rule over them.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Quickly their form is consumed;
the nether world is their palace.
But God will redeem me
from the power of the nether world by receiving me.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Fear not when a man grows rich,
when the wealth of his house becomes great,
For when he dies, he shall take none of it;
his wealth shall not follow him down.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Though in his lifetime he counted himself blessed,
“They will praise you for doing well for yourself,”
He shall join the circle of his forebears
who shall never more see light.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Alleluia SEE 1 THES 2:13
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MK 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
Pope: Migrants and Host Nations Should Be Gift to Each Other by Kathleen Naab
While recognizing that efforts for peace will prevent the need for many migrants to flee from their homelands, Pope Francis says that a proper type of integration will help both migrants and host countries to be mutually enriched.
The Bishop of Rome said this when he addressed today new ambassadors to the Holy See from six nations.
He told the ambassadors that their presence in the Vatican is a “poignant reminder” that we all share a common humanity and this gives us a common mission: to care for society and creation.
“This service has taken on a particular urgency, as so many in our world are suffering conflicts and war, forced migration and displacement, and the uncertainty born of economic hardship,” he said to the diplomats from Estonia, Malawi, Namibia, the Seychelles, Thailand and Zambia. “These problems demand not only that we reflect upon them and discuss them, but that we also express concrete signs of solidarity with our brothers and sisters in grave need.”
Particularly, the Pope called the ambassadors to be a voice for migrants.
“For those suffering the tragedy of violence and forced migration, we must be resolute in making their plight known to the world community, so that as they lack the strength or ability to cry out, their voice may be heard in our own,” he said.
The Holy Father added, “While our initiatives on behalf of peace should help people to remain in their homelands, this present hour urges us to assist migrants and those caring for them.”
Better together
The Pope suggested that a “culture of dialogue” would promote a type of integration whereby both the traditions of migrants and the culture of the receiving communities is preserved, “all the while enriching both.”
“This is essential. If misunderstanding and fear prevail something of ourselves dies, our cultures, history and traditions are weakened, and our own peace is compromised. When on the other hand, we foster dialogue and solidarity, both individually and collectively, it is then that we experience the best of humanity and secure an enduring peace for all, as intended by our Creator.”
Full text: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-address-to-new-diplomats/
Why the Creed Matters Today by Fr. John Flynn
Until the fairly recent new translation of the Creed for use in the Mass probably many Catholics recited it every Sunday as part of their normal routine without pausing a great deal to reflect on its content.
Scott Hahn’s new book, published just this week, provides many good reasons why we should all appreciate to a greater degree the Creed’s contents. “The Creed: Professing the Faith Through the Ages,” (Emmaus Road), explains its origins, content and applications for our daily lives.
At its most essential the Creed is an authoritative summary of a Christian’s key beliefs. It is a profession of our faith in mysteries, Hahn explained, that is, doctrines that have been revealed to us by God, things that we could never have known just through the use of our reason.
The Creed, however, is something that points us to something greater. We do not believe in formulas, but in the realities expressed by those formulas, Hahn noted, quoting the Catechism. The object of our faith is not a proposition, but a person – God.
“A creed is a symbol of something larger – and, ultimately, of Someone we love, Someone who makes us who we are, by means of creeds and other graces,” Hahn continued.
In terms of the historical development of the Creed Hahn explained that in the New Testament we find various summaries of Christ’s life and teachings. St Paul in his letter to the Romans spoke of a public confession of faith in Christ.
Public confession of faith
“Paul assumes that a true Christian statement of faith will acknowledge doctrines that set Christianity apart from every other religion: Jesus’ divinity, his identity as Messiah, and his Resurrection. He also specifies that a Christian confession should be made aloud,” Hahn noted.
Early on in the liturgy of the Church there was a question and answer type of creed, still used today at Baptism and during the Easter Vigil.
In the Sunday missal we normally find both the Nicene Creed and the shorter Apostles’ Creed. The Nicene Creed has been recited during Sunday mass for around a thousand years, but had its origins much earlier, initially in 325 at the Council of Nicea and then in more detail in 381 during the first Council of Constantinople.
The professions of faith that went on to be more formally defined in the text of the Nicene Creed were a confession of what Christians believed in and were to a great extent a response to persecution from without the Church and division from within.
The first centuries of Christianity were marked by multiple heresies regarding goodness of creation and material things, the nature of Christ, the role of the Holy Spirit and the nature of the Trinity.
As well as the need to defend key doctrines against heretical ideas Hahn explained that in the second and third centuries there was a movement towards a greater standardization of the Church’s life and liturgy.
In addition to considering the nature and historical development of the professions of faith Hahn also looked at some of the content and its implications for Christians. In the Creed, he said, we find both statements about the nature of God and statements about the works of God.
Thus, we find out about God being a Trinity, being eternal and our creator. In addition to declarations about the Son and the Holy Spirit we also encounter affirmations regarding the Church and its sacraments and our judgment.
Becoming godlike
A key element in Hahn’s book is its application to a Christian’s life as a believer. Professing belief in the Creed is far from being some merely formal or academic exercise.
“We become more godlike as we strive to imitate God’s human life. That is why we rehearse a brief summary of that life whenever we recite the creed,” he said.
That summary, Hahn observed, goes straight from Jesus’ birth to his Passion. It might seem strange to skip over all the details of his public life, but by focusing on his suffering we not only face the nucleus of why Jesus became man we also learn how to suffer as he did and to find the salvific dimension of suffering.
While we most probably won’t be called upon to perform miracles all of us will experience suffering and death, Hahn commented.
In his concluding chapter Hahn observed that our times are not that different from those of the early Church. Like then we encounter a wide diversity of opinions about Jesus and the content of what we are urged to believe in.
In such a situation Hahn recommends that “We should go forward, fortified by the creed.”
Creeds may well have become unfashionable, he admitted, yet they provide not only an antidote to modern skepticism and cynicism but also a vision to guide the way we live our lives.
The creeds are the rule and measure of true faith. Hahn declared, and with every recitation of the creed the Church is strengthened and renewed.
Caritas Leaders Aim to Make Case for More Efficient Use of Aid Resources by ZENIT Staff
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila says the way we help people in emergencies can be more efficient and effective by engaging local and faith-based organisations.
The Caritas Internationalis president will speak at the Special Session on the Religious Engagement on the first day of the World Humanitarian Summit. The meeting takes place on 23-24 May in Istanbul.
“Growing inequality, climate change, water scarcity, urbanisation, conflict for resources and the spread of extremism will put millions in peril in the coming years. We need a humanitarian system able to address these growing needs,” said Cardinal Tagle.
“Despite local organisations, including faith-based institutions, offering networks of infrastructure that serve as a source of shelter, care and education, the current humanitarian system of donors fails to recognise them.
“Resources are stretched. If donors want to reach more people with better quality help then they must use the readymade tools at their disposal. The World Humanitarian Summit is the chance to transform the current system by giving local organisations their rightful seat at the table.”
Caritas says the current top-down approach to humanitarian response must be replaced by an investment in local action, strengthening grassroots capacity, and improving partnership and coordination.
Caritas organisations from the USA, Austria, the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Sierra Leone and Niger will attend the meeting in Istanbul.
Caritas speakers include Sean Callahan of Catholic Relief Services and president of Caritas North America, Sabine Attama of CADEV-Caritas Niger, Chris Bain of CAFOD (Caritas England and Wales) and Fr. Peter Konteh, executive director of Caritas Freetown in Sierra Leone.
The Caritas confederation pledges to promote global leadership on conflict prevention, upholding humanitarian principles, strengthening local capacity, improving coordination and partnership and ensuring those affected by the emergencies are agents of their own destiny.
INTERVIEW: Be Not Afraid! Come to WYD Krakow by Antonio Gaspari
Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz is perfectly aware that in our age of terrorism, some young people (or their parents) might be afraid of a World Youth Day.
To this, he replies, Be not afraid!
Krakow is a city that has a strong emotional impact: it is the Diocese of Saint John Paul II, the Pontiff who led the greatest number of World Youth Days.
Once the Polish Pope’s secretary and now the archbishop of the city, Cardinal Dziwisz said, “Don’t be afraid to come to Poland, it is a tranquil country, the Security Service are efficient and the population is vigilant and welcoming. The desire is strong to go to Wojtyla’s city. The WYD will be a moment of joy, not only of amusement but of encounter in the faith of Jesus Christ together with Pope Francis.”
The cardinal recalled that when World Youth Days began now some decades ago, no one in the Vatican knew how to organize them. Cardinal Eduardo Francisco Pironio, who imagined them, thought of meetings of small groups in different parishes, whereas John Paul II imagined enormous expanses to receive millions of young people. Now, many years later, each WYD seems better than those that have preceded it.
Given the developments that the Krakow event could have towards ever better good relations with the Russian Orthodox, Cardinal Dziwisz said that, after the meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow, “the most important objective is peace. Peace not only between Russia and Ukraine, peace not only for Europe, but peace for the whole world.”
“The young people who will take part in the WYD will come to Krakow to bring and spread peace and mercy,” stressed the Archbishop.
Remembering 35 years ago
Questioned about what he remembered of the attack on John Paul II on May 13, 1981, the Cardinal recalled: “I was behind John Paul II. I heard two shots, others say there were three. The way the Pope reacted gives an idea of his holiness.”
“From the beginning, wounded, suffering with the risk of death, he prayed for the one that shot him. He didn’t know who it was, but he prayed for him. When we went in the ambulance, he also prayed for the attacker.”
When everything seemed to have passed, John Paul II went to speak with Ali Agca who had shot him. “The Pope spoke to him of forgiveness, but Agca was only interested in the secret of Fatima. He never said he was sorry, whereas John Paul II said that it was necessary to forgive and to love to be saved.”
“When it happened that he paused at the tombs of the Pontiffs in Saint Peter’s Basilica, John Paul II reflected that he also was almost buried there,” said Cardinal Dizwisz. “The operation, and his stay in the hospital, was terrible, but the Polish Pope entrusted himself to Mary, thankful to the Lord, he faced all his sufferings inviting not to be afraid.”
Asked about the response of the Church in Poland to refugees and migrants, the Cardinal reminded that already housed in Poland are more than one million people, who have fled from Ukraine, from Byelorussia and from areas where there have been clashes. “The Polish Church is open to house the needy, but the way the phenomenon must be ordered is up to the State,” he stressed. “Poland has not built walls; on the contrary, it has welcomed those fleeing from areas where there were military clashes.
Before taking his leave, the Archbishop repeated: “Don’t be afraid! Bring people to Krakow, John Paul II’s city.”
INTERVIEW: The Voice of the Soul: Andrea Bocelli (Part 2) by Włodzimierz Rędzioch
Andrea Bocelli spoke with Włodzimierz Redzioch of the Polish weekly “Niedziela,” The musician spoke of his childhood, career, music, faith, and his relationships with the Popes, especially with John Paul II.
Here is an English translation of Part 2 of the interview. Read the first part here.
—
Włodzimierz Rędzioch- For several centuries, the West has been trying to separate reason from faith. What is worse, it is believed that faith is incompatible with reason. You say you are a believer. Where is your faith coming from?
Andrea Bocelli- My faith was born in adulthood, when some existential questions became urgent. I realized that making any choice, we stand at a fork in the road – one path is leading toward the good, the second – in the direction of evil. To live in belief that a fate directs it is not only not appropriate, but also not very logical and reasonable. This is elementary reasoning which allows a person to make the right decision, and the first fundamental choice that we must make is: to believe or not to believe. I chose the path that seemed more logical, which my intelligence, though limited, identified as a path without alternative. Faith is truly a priceless gift that I try to maintain and deepen, and it supports me day after day. I don’t think that faith is contrary to reason.
Włodzimierz Rędzioch- As an artist and as a believer, you are very devoted to Our Lady. Why this predilection for Mary?
Andrea Bocelli- Mary is the road that leads to the Father, our Heavenly Mother, Comforter and Mediatrix. It is no coincidence that over the centuries music was able to sing, to pray and call Her through the extraordinary work.
Włodzimierz Rędzioch- In your long career, you have sung before millions of people – including four US presidents and three popes – not to mention the millions of albums sold. As a Pole, I’m especially interested what memories you retained about John Paul II?
Andrea Bocelli- Pope John Paul II is “an extraordinary spirit,” who for us believers, already during His lifetime, as pope, represented a shining bond between the earthly existence and Transcendence. Enlightened by a special grace was a charismatic figure. He was a saint, who knew how in a simple way to talk to people, who attracted to Catholicism new generations. A Pope who changed history. He was the driving force and the hero of the epoch-making changes, also geopolitical. I had several times the honor and pleasure of singing before John Paul II – I carry within me the memories of those moments. For me, his canonization was a great joy and brought a lot of emotions.
Włodzimierz Rędzioch- Benedict XVI, who is a great lover and connoisseur of music, once said that real music is born from the experience of love, sadness, and encounters with the Divine. Maestro, do you agree with this statement?
Andrea Bocelli- It seems to me that this is a very beautiful reflection about music, deep and subtle, reflecting the sensitivity of the person who said it.
Włodzimierz Rędzioch- Pope Francis is less devoted to music, but eager to hear singing. He recently said to the young singers form “Pueri Cantores” choir: “If I would sing, then I will resemble a donkey, as I cannot sing.” But there is something that connects you: sensitivity to the poor and needy. You, Maestro, even founded a foundation which bears your name. What exactly the Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) do?
Andrea Bocelli- ABF’s mission is to help individuals or groups which are in difficult situations due to illness, poverty, social exclusion, as well as to support national and international projects which contribute to the overthrow of such barriers and help to extract human potentials. The balance of the first four years is very good. I will quote some figures: conversion of 3 street schools into functional and safe school facilities, which are used for free by 1.6 thousand children and where they also receive meals (these are schools in St. Augustin, Notre Dame du Rosaire and St. Philomene in Haiti); more than 20 million liters of water is delivered to the slums of Cité Soleil (Haiti); providing basic support to 360 families in refugee camps (Iraq); showers in Rome, which are used daily by 80 homeless people; financing 15 scientists who are working on a prototype device which would increase autonomy of the blind.
Włodzimierz Rędzioch- Together, with the Pontifical Council for the Family you organized a series of concerts. This initiative is accompanied by the slogan: “The great mystery: the Gospel of the family as a school of humanity for our times.” Why it is so important to protect family in the world in which attitudes of individualism and selfishness are promoted?
Andrea Bocelli- I think that the family is the basic element of society – where we shape our emotions. This is a privileged place where we seek harmony and mutual respect. The family is the space where we learn – and teach others – to choose the good in every action; trying to implement in our lives these Christian values which our parents pass on to us and which we have a duty to pass to our children. The sense of family ties is what each of us experienced as a child, living in the family, if we were very lucky to have one. Those who think that they can live without family, that they can destroy it according to their own whims apparently are putting their own “I” in the place of God and have lost the memory of what he/she received as a child – a treasure of boundless and unconditional love. Thus, a family should be defended with a pure heart of the child and I’m also trying to do this will all my strength.
Włodzimierz Rędzioch- From time to time you have concerts in Poland. With what feelings do you visit the country of John Paul II?
Andrea Bocelli- I love the country of John Paul II; I love its people, their sensitivity. I love great artists, which Poland has, extraordinary historic places and the stately churches adorning Polish cities. I appreciate the way you are experiencing music, the warmth with which you are always welcoming me. Whenever I come back from Poland, I’m full of positive energy and I bring back home fond memories. Thus, every time when I go on stage, I try to give everything, in a way, to express my gratitude and reciprocate love and kindness which I experience.
Part 1: https://zenit.org/articles/interview-the-voice-of-the-soul-andrea-bocelli-part-1/
Source: www.Niedziela.pl
A Tale of Mercy in a Rwanda Still Haunted by Genocide by ZENIT Staff
By Aleksandra Szymczak
In just 100 days, 16 years ago, 800,000 people were murdered in the Rwandan genocide. In this Year of Mercy, a Polish missionary who has spent the past 30 years in the country is working hard to plan this fall’s first African Congress on God’s Mercy to be held in Kigali, the Rwandan capital.
Father Stanislaw Filipek, SAC, spoke with the international Catholic charity about the crucial legacy of Sister Faustina Kowalska, the apostle of Divine Mercy.
The missionary said: “Christ revealed Himself to Sister Faustina between the two World Wars. At a moment of deep hopelessness when people were afflicted with tragedy after an evil that was done, exactly in this very moment, out of the deepest hopelessness when everything was lost, ruined, God revealed Himself as merciful. God can fix it all. He can transform evil into good. We are being constantly invited to learn this, and this is the leitmotif of our pastoral work in Rwanda.”
The devotion to God’s Mercy in Rwanda, said the priest, “was sown into fertile ground, because in this post-war context a great question arose: How to talk about forgiveness? In Rwanda I often hear this question: ‘who should forgive first?’ There is no easy answer, but I keep repeating: he, who is wiser, he, who is closer to God, he should learn to forgive.
“The idea of God’s Mercy spread all over Rwanda in a quite simple way. The Pallottines in France published a small brochure on the Devotion to God’s Mercy including the Rosary of Mercy, Sundayof Mercy, the Hour of Mercy, etc. We translated it into Kinyarwanda, one of the official languages of Rwanda and the message spread quickly. At some point the bishops started asking, ‘What is this all about, this God’s Mercy?’ They didn’t know and they were afraid it was some kind of sect.”
The Pallottines in 2008 proposed to Rwanda’s Episcopal Conference to take responsibility for the movement and it has since grown rapidly; it now features national chaplains, as well as a national committee of Divine Mercy Groups; and now the first African Continental Congress on God’s Mercy will be held Sept. 9-15, 2016. Supported by Aid to the Church in Need, the theme of the meeting is “God’s Mercy as a source of hope for the New Evangelization of the African Continent.”
“After the tearing of a society apart by genocide, war and mourning the victims, we see clearly that God’s Mercy might be the answer—an antidote to all this evil, by which people are afflicted,” concluded Father Filipek.
—
Aid to the Church in Need is an international Catholic charity under the guidance of the Holy See, providing assistance to the suffering and persecuted Church in more than 140 countries. www.churchinneed.org (USA); www.acnuk.org (UK); www.aidtochurch.org (AUS); www.acnireland.org (IRL); www.acn-aed-ca.org (CAN) www.acnmalta.org (Malta)
Pope’s Address to New Diplomats by ZENIT Staff
Here is a Vatican-provided English translation of the address Pope Francis gave today when he received Letters of Credence from the Ambassadors to the Holy See from Estonia, Malawi, Namibia, the Seychelles, Thailand and Zambia.
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Your Excellencies,
I am pleased to receive you on the occasion of the presentation of the Letters by which you are accredited as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassadors of your countries to the Holy See: Estonia, Malawi, Namibia, the Seychelles, Thailand and Zambia. I thank you for the greetings you conveyed to me on behalf of your respective Heads of State and, in return, I would ask you to assure them of my prayers and best wishes. I ask God to grant peace and prosperity to all your fellow citizens.
Your presence here today is a poignant reminder that, though our nationalities, cultures and religious beliefs may be different, we are united by our common humanity and a shared mission to care for society and creation. This service has taken on a particular urgency, as so many in our world are suffering conflicts and war, forced migration and displacement, and the uncertainty born of economic hardship. These problems demand not only that we reflect upon them and discuss them, but that we also express concrete signs of solidarity with our brothers and sisters in grave need.
For this service of solidarity to be effective, our efforts must be directed to the pursuit of peace, wherein each individual’s natural rights and integral human development are nurtured and guaranteed. This task demands that we work together in an efficient and coordinated way, encouraging the members of our communities to become themselves artisans of peace, promoters of social justice and advocates of true respect for our common home. This is increasingly difficult, for our world appears ever more fragmented and indifferent. Many people isolate themselves from harsh realities. They are afraid of terrorism and of a growing influx of migrants fundamentally changing their culture, economic stability and way of life. These are fears which we understand and cannot dismiss lightly, yet they must be addressed in an intelligent and creative way, so that the rights and needs of all are respected and upheld.
For those suffering the tragedy of violence and forced migration, we must be resolute in making their plight known to the world community, so that as they lack the strength or ability to cry out, their voice may be heard in our own. The path of diplomacy helps us to both amplify and convey this cry by seeking solutions to the many underlying causes of the conflicts of our day. This applies especially in our efforts to remove weapons from those perpetrating violence, and to end the scourge of human trafficking and the drug trade which often support this evil.
While our initiatives on behalf of peace should help people to remain in their homelands, this present hour urges us to assist migrants and those caring for them. We must not allow misunderstanding and fear to weaken our resolve. Rather, we are called to build a culture of dialogue, one which “enables us to view others as valid dialogue partners, to respect the foreigner, the immigrant and people from different cultures as worthy of being listened to” (Conferral of the Charlemagne Prize, 6 May 2016). In this way, we will promote an integration which respects the traditions of migrants and preserves the culture of the community receiving them, all the while enriching both. This is essential. If misunderstanding and fear prevail something of ourselves dies, our cultures, history and traditions are weakened, and our own peace is compromised. When on the other hand, we foster dialogue and solidarity, both individually and collectively, it is then that we experience the best of humanity and secure an enduring peace for all, as intended by our Creator.
Dear Ambassadors, before concluding these reflections, I would like to express, through you, my fraternal greeting to the Pastors and faithful of the Catholic communities present in your countries. I encourage them always to be heralds of hope and peace. I think especially of those Christian and minority communities suffering persecution for their beliefs; to them I renew my prayerful support and solidarity. For its part, the Holy See is honoured to be able to strengthen with each of you and with the countries you represent an open and respectful dialogue and a constructive collaboration. From this perspective, as your new mission is officially inaugurated, I express to you my best wishes, assuring you of the constant support of the various offices of the Roman Curia in carrying out your functions. Upon each of you, your families and your colleagues, I invoke abundant divine blessings.[Original text: Italian]
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