(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday morning. Following the readings of the day, the Holy Father reflected on the place of poverty in the Gospel, saying that the Gospel becomes incomprehensible if poverty is removed from it, and that it is unfair to label priests who show a pastoral concern for the poor as, “Communists”.
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In the 1 st reading, which tells of how St. Paul organized a collection in the Church of Corinth, for the benefit of to the Church of Jerusalem, whose members were facing great hardship. Pope Francis noted that, today as then, poverty is “a word that always embarrasses.” Many times, he said, we hear: “But this priest talks too much about poverty, this bishop speaks of poverty, this Christian, this nun talks about poverty … aren’t they a little communist, right?” On the contrary, he warned, “Poverty is at the very center of the Gospel: if we remove poverty from the Gospel, no one would be able to understand anything about the message of Jesus.”
When faith does not reach the pockets it is not genuine
St. Paul, he said, speaking to the Church of Corinth, highlights what is their real wealth: “You are rich in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and love that we have taught you.” The exhortation of the Apostle is: “as you are rich, be you also great in this generous work in “this collection”:
“If you have so much richness in the heart, these great riches of zeal, charity, the Word of God, the knowledge of God – let this wealth reach your pockets – and this is a golden rule: when faith does not come with pockets, not a genuine faith. It is a golden rule here that Paul says, in essence: ‘You are rich in many things now, so be generous in this work of generosity.’ here is this contrast between wealth and poverty. The Church of Jerusalem is poor, is in economic difficulty, but it is rich, because it has the treasure of the Gospel message. This poor Church of Jerusalem, has enriched the Church of Corinth with the Gospel message; it has given the richness of the Gospel.”
Let the poverty of Christ enrich us
Continuing his paraphrase of St. Paul, Pope Francis went on to call on all of us to follow the example of the Church of Corinth: the Church, whose members had a great deal of material wealth and so many things, who were poor without the proclamation of the Gospel, but who enriched the Church of Jerusalem, helping to build up the People of God. Here is the foundation of the “theology of poverty”: Jesus Christ, who was rich – with the very richness of God – made Himself poor, He lowered Himself for us. This then, is the meaning of the first Beatitude: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit,’ i.e. “to be poor is to let oneself be enriched by the poverty of Christ, to desire not to be rich with other riches than those of Christ”:
“When we give help to the poor, we are not doing the work of aid agencies ‘in a Christian way’. Those are good, it is a decent thing to do – aid work is good and quite human – but it is not Christian poverty, which St. Paul desires of us and preaches to us. Christian poverty is that I give of my own, and not of that which is left over – I give even that, which I need for myself, to the poor person, because I know that he enriches me. Why does the poor person enrich me? Because Jesus Himself told us that He is in the poor person.”
Christian poverty is not an ideology
When one divests oneself of something, not only from our abundance, to give to a poor person, to a poor community, one is thereby enriched. Jesus acts in one who does this, when he does it, and Jesus acts in the poor person, who enriches one who gives to him of his substance:
“This is the theology of poverty: This is because poverty is at the heart of the Gospel; it is not an ideology. It is precisely this mystery, the mystery of Christ who humbled Himself, who let Himself be impoverished in order to enrich us. So it is understandable why the first of the Beatitudes is ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit.’ Being poor in spirit means going on this path of the Lord: the poverty of the Lord, who lowers Himself even so far as to become bread for us, in this sacrifice [of the Mass]. He continues to lower Himself into the history of the Church, into the memorial of His passion, and by the memorial of His humiliation, the memorial of His poverty, by this bread He enriches us.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, on Monday addressed the 29th Session of the Human Rights Council, during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Migrants.
The full text is below
Statement by His Excellency Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
and Other International Organizations in Geneva
at the 29th Session of the Human Rights Council
Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Migrants
Geneva, 15 June 2015
Mr. President,
The multilateral system, and immigration countries in particular, have not yet succeeded in effectively managing migration. While much generosity in receiving asylum seekers and migrants has been evident, a long-range immigration strategy is still lacking. The consequence, in Pope Francis’ words, is abdication of responsibility because “leaving our brothers on boats to die… is an attack against life” . In fact, since January 2015 well over 1,800 migrants have already lost their lives while attempting to cross the Mediterranean . An estimated 25,000 Rohingyas and Bangladeshi have boarded smugglers’ boats destined for Thailand and Malaysia in the first three months of 2015. A shocking total of 68,000 unaccompanied children were apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol from October 2013 to September 2014 .
Mr. President,
The push factors for such gigantic migration and refugee flows are well-known to the international community: the organized business of human trafficking that exploits people in desperate situations; no end to poverty; lack of jobs; unstable political situations, discrimination, health crises, persecutions, bloody wars and famines. The multilateral system needs to work better together: migration and climate change are major challenges of the 21st Century. In the long term, it is necessary to address the root causes of such a global phenomenon. The clock is ticking and the longer we wait, the higher the costs will be. All these persons on the move for different reasons have rights that the national and international communities must protect and respect in practice. The Delegation of the Holy See would like to suggest some concrete steps.
First, search and rescue operations should continue and be further strengthened, as the need to protect the right to life of all, regardless of their status, must remain the priority; second, resettlement in Europe, as well as in other parts of the world, should be effectively carried out and more fairly distributed, with due attention for security and social needs, but without acquiescing to irrational populist pressures; third, competent authorities should provide safer legal channels of emigration and practical acceptance so as to reconcile migrants’ rights and the legitimate interests of the receiving societies.
Mr. President,
The perception of migrants as a burden runs against the evidence of their contribution to the national economy of the host countries, to the social security system and to the demographic deficit. Accumulating evidence shows that, besides enriching the national culture with new values and perspectives, migrants contribute through the taxes they pay, the new businesses they start, as well as the array of services they provide. For instance, some stunning 497,000 new enterprises were run by foreign citizens in Italy in 2013 , and according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), migrants accounted for 47% of the increase in the workforce in the United States and 70% in Europe over the past ten years . Far from being an obstacle, newcomers therefore prove to be a crucial positive factor for the economy and a creative presence in society.
Mr. President,
At the same time, other long-range strategies are required. The issue of migration is not an isolated variable, but an important component in the context of political, economic and trade relations between sending and receiving countries. No person with the possibility of living with dignity in his or her home country would feel compelled to flee it. International solidarity should then strive to create the proper environment “at home“, thus making migration a choice and not a compulsive necessity. This may be accomplished by creating quality and decent jobs, promoting a more just and equitable financial and economic order, improving access to markets, trade and competition, by exchanging innovative technology, raising participation and political stability.
An increasing number of people are moving to urban centers, a development that calls for fresh reflection on integration to ensure peaceful coexistence in society. Aside from mere economic reasons, the interest of the receiving society is served in the long run by the acceptance of newcomers in their difference and by their openness to progressive integration in the new environment by accepting the fundamental values, rights and obligations, that make possible a common future.
Fairness demands that a positive image of newcomers be adopted with a common, friendly, and appropriate terminology for media at the national level, so as to avoid ambiguity, demagoguery and the stirring up of racism, discrimination, exploitation by unscrupulous politicians. Above all, respect for the dignity of the human person remains the touchstone. At the same time, receiving countries should put in place proper mechanisms for social acceptance of migrants, for example by drafting Charters on rights and responsibilities of migrants, which are readily comprehensible, so as better to integrate migrants and provide them with a secure legal status, with clear and specific rights and responsibilities.
In conclusion, we thank the Special Rapporteur for the best practices outlined in his report and for playing an important role in maintaining a high level of public awareness and we welcome resolution 26/19 of the Human Rights Council which further extended his mandate.
Mr. President,
The proper implementation of human rights becomes truly beneficial for migrants, as well as for the sending and receiving countries. The measures suggested are not a mere concession to migrants. They are in the interest of migrants, host societies, and the international community at large. Promoting and respecting the human rights of migrants and their dignity ensures that everyone’s rights and dignity in society are fully respected.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) From June 17-20, Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, will be in Rome to meet with Pope Francis. Aphrem II was elected the 123rd Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch in 2014.
The Syrian Orthodox Church traces its history to the first Christian communities established in Antioch. Both St Peter and St Paul resided in Antioch. It was from Antioch that the first missionaries went forth to evangelize Asia and Europe. The Syrian Orthodox Church arose from divisions following the Council of Chalcedon in 451.
The Syrian Orthodox Church has a patriarchal structure. There are Syrian Orthodox communities in Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, and Israel; and on account of various waves of emigration in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The largest community is in India. The Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church is an integral part of the Syrian Orthodox Church and recognizes the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch as the supreme patriarch. The Catholicos for the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church is His Beatitude Mor Baselios Thomas I, who will be part of the delegation visiting Rome.
This martyr Church has known episodes of persecution in its history of emigration, and even more recently, with the tragic events verified in Syria and Iraq. The Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Aleppo, Mar Gregorius Yohanna Ibrahim, together with Bishop Paul Yazigi, of the Greek-Orthodox Church of Aleppo, were kidnapped two years ago, on 22 April 2013, in the peripheries of Aleppo. The Syrian Orthodox Church has already undergone a tragedy of Sayfo (Spada), when half a million Syrians were killed at the end of the First World War; which took place at the same time as the violence against the Armenians.
The Syrian Orthodox Church, among the eastern Orthodox Churches, is very close to the Catholic Church. The common declaration signed by Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Mar Zakka I Iwas in Rome (23 June 1984) recognized that the two parties profess the same faith in Christ and attributed the divergence in Christological terminology to cultural diversity. In November of 1993, the Joint Theological Commission of the Catholic Church and the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church drew up an agreement on inter-religious marriage, known today as the “Kerala Contract.” This agreement was approved by Pope John Paul II and the Patriarch on 25 January 1994, and was accompanied by a series of pastoral directives.
The Patriarch will meet with Pope Francis on Friday, who share a moment of prayer together on Friday 19 June. He will also have a meeting at the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, and will make a visit to the tomb of St Peter.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday morning. Following the readings of the day, the Holy Father reflected on the place of poverty in the Gospel, saying that the Gospel becomes incomprehensible if poverty is removed from it, and that it is unfair to label priests…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) The Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, on Monday addressed the 29th Session of the Human Rights Council, during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Migrants. The full text is below Statement by His Excellency Archbishop Silvano…
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