(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday (June 12th) began his final day in Paraguay with a visit to the Banado Norte slum in the capital, Asuncion. In an address to the inhabitants, he praised their strong sense of solidarity despite their daily struggles and said a faith which does not draw us into solidarity is a dead faith.
Please find below an English translation of the Pope’s prepared remarks to the inhabitants of Banado Norte:
Dear Friends,
I have looked forward to being with you today. I could not come to Paraguay without spending some time with you, here on your land.
We are meeting in this Parish named after the Holy Family, and I confess that as I arrived, everything reminded me of the Holy Family. To see your faces, your children, your elderly, and to hear about your experiences and everything you went through to be here, to have a dignified life and a roof over your heads, to endure the bad weather and the flooding of these last few weeks… All this makes me think of the little family of Bethlehem. Your struggles have not taken away your laughter, your joy and your hope. Struggles which have not lessened your sense of solidarity but if anything, have made it grow.
I would like think for a moment about Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem. They were forced to leave home, families and friends. They had to leave all that they had and to go somewhere else, to a place where they knew no one, a place where they had no house or family. That was when that young couple had Jesus. That was how they gave us Jesus. They were alone, in a strange land, just the three of them. Then, all of a sudden, shepherds began to arrive. People just like them who had to leave their homes to find better opportunities for their families. Their lives were affected by harsh weather but by other kinds of hardship too.
When they heard that Jesus had been born, they went to see him. They became neighbors. In an instant, they became a family to Mary and Joseph. The family of Jesus.
That is what happens when Jesus comes into our lives. It is what happens with faith. Faith brings us closer. It makes us neighbors. It draws us closer to the lives of others. Faith awakens our commitment, our solidarity. The birth of Jesus changes our lives. A faith which does not draw us into solidarity is a faith which is dead. It is a faith without Christ, a faith without God, a faith without brothers and sisters. The first to show this solidarity was our Lord, who chose to live in our midst.
I come to you like those shepherds. I want to be your neighbor. I want to bless your faith, your hands and your community. I come to join you in giving thanks, because faith has become hope, and hope in turn kindles love. The faith which Jesus awakens in us is a faith which makes us able to dream of the future, and to work for it here and now. That is why I want to urge you to continue to be missionaries, to keep spreading the faith in these streets and alleys. Be neighbors above all to the young and the elderly. Be a support for young families and all families which are experiencing difficulty.
I commend your families to the Holy Family so that its example and its witness may continue to be a light for your path, a encouragement in times of trouble. May the Holy Family always help us to be “shepherds” who can accompany, support and encourage our families.
Let us together pray to them. I ask you to remember to pray for me.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is currently in Paraguay’s capital Asunciòn on the last day of his three country Apostolic journey to Latin America which has also taken him to Ecuador and Bolivia. Linda Bordoni is in this nation’s capital and keeps us updated on the less formal and unscheduled activities our Pope of surprises has accustomed us to. Listen to Linda Bordoni’s report from Asunciòn:
One of the many reasons for which we love Pope Francis is his tendency to disregard protocol and find time and ways to bend and modify his official schedule for things and people he cares about. He’s been doing it here in Paraguay as well! His first stop on Friday, after landing at Asuncion Airport was a brief – unscheduled – visit to the “Buen Pastor” women’s prison where inmates sang for him in an outside courtyard. On Saturday he made changes to his schedule as well, deciding to include an afternoon visit to the “Saint Rafael Foundation”, which cares for poor patients with AIDS and cancer, has a rehabilitation clinic, three centers for abandoned and abused children and homes for the elderly. It is run by Fr. Aldo Trento who met the Pope recently during an audience in Rome, inviting him on that occasion to stop by when in Asuncion. And although it certainly isn’t on the official Papal programme, most people here are pretty sure he will take time on Sunday before his departure to pray and reflect in front of the macabre shell of the devastated Ycua Bolaños supermarket in central Asuncion. It’s where 430 people burnt to death and many others were injured in 2004 when fire broke out and the store’s owners issued orders to lock the doors to prevent looting. The tragedy has left a deep wound in Paraguayan society where anger over the event continues to run high as families of the victims and the population at large believe that a drawn-out judicial process has let culprits off with too light a jail sentence. In Asuncion with Pope Francis, I’m Linda Bordoni (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is currently in Paraguay’s capital Asunciòn on the last leg of his three country Apostolic journey to Latin America which has also taken him to Ecuador and Bolivia. Linda Bordoni is currently in Asunciòn and tells us how the Pope’s fellow countrymen are far from missing the opportunity to get close to him. Listen to Linda Bordoni’s report:
What has been happening on the border between Paraguay and Argentina is being described as “historic”. Immigration officials in both countries say some 1.5 million Argentinians are giving life to what is estimated to be the biggest border crossing for any single event in the region’s history. The reason for the exodus of course, is Pope Francis. His fellow countrymen want to get close to him and show him how much they love and appreciate him. That’s why there are so many pale blue and white flags mingled in with the red, white and blue Paraguayan colours and of course the Vatican’s yellow and white. Many Argentinians made their presence felt on Saturday morning at the Marian Shrine of Caacupé where Pope Francis must have felt particularly “at home” also because of the personal connection he has with the Virgin of Caacupé which is rooted in his pastoral work in Buenos Aires. Yes, because when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Bergoglio often visited the “Villa 21” slum where many Paraguayan immigrants live, joining them in their religious processions and celebrating baptisms at their Church: Our Lady of Caacupé. What’s more, making that same trip across the border is also a large contingent of Paraguayans: about one fifth of the roughly one million immigrants living in Argentina today. That’s why Argentina has opened a number of new border control offices and immigration checkpoints en route to Paraguay, a poor country that needs the Pope’s blessing and is receiving him with open arms. In Asuncion with Pope Francis, I’m Linda Bordoni (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis presided over Vespers with the bishops, priests, deacons, men and women religious, seminarians and representatives of Paraguay’s Catholic movements on Saturday evening in the cathedral of Asunciòn. Below, please find the full text of the Holy Father’s prepared remarks in their official English translation.
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APOSTOLIC VISIT OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO ECUADOR, BOLIVIA AND PARAGUAY.
Vespers with Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Men and Women Religious, Seminarians and Catholic Movements Metropolitan Cathedral, Asunci ó n
How good it is for all of us to pray Vespers together! How can we not dream of of a Church which reflects and echoes the harmony of voices and song in her daily life! That is what we are doing in this Cathedral, rebuilt so many times over the years. This Cathedral symbolizes the Church and each one of us. At times, storms from without and within force us to tear down what had been built and to begin again, but always with the hope given us by God. When we look at this building, we can surely say that it has not disappointed the hopes of the Paraguayan people… because God never disappoints! For this we give thankful praise.
Liturgical prayer, in its unhurried structure, is meant to be an expression of the whole Church, the Spouse of Christ, as she strives to be ever more conformed to her Lord. Each one of us, in prayer, wants to become more like Jesus.
Prayer expresses what we experience and what we ought to experience in our daily lives. At least that is true of prayer that is not self-centered or merely for show. Prayer makes us put into practice, or examine our consciences about, what we have prayed for in the Psalms. We are the hands of the God who “lifts up the poor from the dust”. We work to turn what is dry and barren into fertile ground. We cry out that “precious in the eyes of the Lord is the life of his faithful ones”. We are those who fight, speak up and defend the dignity of every human life, from birth to old age, when our years are many and our strength fails. Prayer is the reflection of our love for God, for others and for all creation. The commandment of love is the greatest way for the missionary disciple to be conformed to Jesus. Union with Jesus deepens our Christian vocation, which is concerned with what Jesus “does” – which is something much greater than mere “activities” – with becoming more like him in all that we do. The beauty of the ecclesial community is born of this union of each of her members to the person of Jesus, creating an “ensemble of vocations” in the richness of harmonic diversity.
The antiphons of the Gospel canticles for this weekend evoke for us the sending of the Twelve by Jesus. It is always good to grow in this awareness that apostolic work is carried out in communion! It is admirable to see you cooperating pastorally, with respect for the nature and ecclesial role of each of the vocations and charisms. I want to encourage all of you, priests, men and women religious, laity and seminarians to be committed to this ecclesial collaboration, especially with regard to diocesan pastoral plans and the continental mission, and to work together with complete availability in the service of the common good. If our divisions lead to barrenness (cf. Evangelii Gaudium , 98-101), then there is no doubt that communion and harmony lead to fruitfulness, because they are deeply attuned to the Holy Spirit.
Each of us has his or her limitations, and no one is able to reproduce Jesus in all his fullness. Although all vocations are associated with certain aspects of the life and work of Jesus, some vocations are more general and essential. Just now we praised the Lord for “he did not regard equality God as something to be exploited”. This is the case with every Christian vocation: a person called by God does not show off; he or she does not seek recognition or applause; he or she does claim to be better than others, standing apart as if on a pedestal.
Christ’s supremacy is clearly described in the li turgy of the Letter to the Hebrews. As we just read from the final part of that Letter, we are to become perfect like “the great Shepherd of the sheep”. This means that all consecrated persons are to be conformed to Jesus, who in his earthly life, “with prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears” achieved perfection when, through suffering, he learned the meaning of obedience. This too is part of our calling.
Let us conclude our celebration of Vespers. The bell tower of this Cathedral was rebuilt a number of times. The sound of its bells anticipates and accompanies our liturgical prayer on so many occasione. Rebuilt for God whenever we pray, steadfast like a bell tower, joyful in ringing out the wonders of God, let us share the Magnificat and, through our consecrated life, allow the Lord to accomplish great things in Paraguay.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday (July 11th) urged representatives of civil society in Paraguay not to be closed in on themselves and but work together with others using dialogue to build a more inclusive society. He warned those listening to not just take their “own slice of the cake” but discuss, think, and discover together a better solution for everybody.
Please find below the English translation of the Pope’s prepared remarks for his address to the representatives of civil society in Paraguay :
Dear Friends,
I am pleased to be with you, the representatives of civil society, and to share our hopes and dreams for a better future. I thank Bishop Adalberto Martínez Flores, Secretary of the Paraguay Bishops’ Conference, for his words of welcome in your name.
Seeing all of you together, each coming from his or her own sector or organization within Paraguayan society, each bringing his or her own joys, concerns, struggles and hopes, makes me grateful to God. A people unengaged and listless, passively accepting things as they are, is a dead people. In you, however, I see great vitality and promise. God always blesses this. God is always on the side of those who help to uplift and improve the lives of his children. To be sure, problems and situations of injustice exist. But seeing you and listening to you helps to renew my hope in the Lord who continues to work in the midst of his people. You represent many different backgrounds, situations and aspirations; all together, you make up Paraguayan culture. All of you have a part to play in the pursuit of the common good. “In the present condition of global society, where injustices abound and growing numbers of people are deprived of basic human rights and considered expendable” (Laudato Si’, 158), to see you before me is a real gift.
I also want to thank those of you who prepared the questions. These have enabled me to see above all your commitment to keep working together for the good of the nation.
1. In the first question, I was pleased to hear a young person express concern that society be a place of fraternity, justice, peace and dignity for everyone. Youth is a time of high ideals. It is important that you, the young, realize that genuine happiness comes from working to make a more fraternal world! It comes from realizing that happiness and pleasure are not synonymous. Happiness is demanding, it requires commitment and effort. You are too important to be satisfied with living life under a kind of anasthesia! Paraguay has a large population of young people and this is a great source of enrichment for the nation. So I think that the first thing to do is to make sure that all that energy, that light, does not grow dim in your hearts, and to resist the growing mentality which considers it useless and absurd to aspire to things that demand effort. Be committed to something, be committed to someone. Don’t be afraid to take a risk. Don’t be afraid to give the best of yourselves!
But don’t do this alone. Try to talk about these things among yourselves, profit from the lives, the stories and the wisdom of your elders, of your grandparents. “Waste” lots of time listening to all the good things they have to teach you. They are the guardians of that spiritual legacy of faith and values which define a people and illumine its path. Find comfort, too, in the power of prayer, in Jesus. Keep praying to to him daily. He will not disappoint you. Jesus, in the memory of your people, is the secret to keeping a joyful heart in your quest for fraternity, justice, peace and dignity for everyone.
I liked the poem of Carlos Miguel Giménez which Bishop Martínez quoted. I think it sums up very nicely what I have been trying to say, “[I dream of] a paradise free of war between brothers and sisters, rich in men and women healthy in heart and soul… and a God who blesses its dawn”. Yes, God is the guarantee of the dignity of man.
2. The second question spoke about dialogue as a means to advance the project of a fully inclusive nation. Dialogue, we know, is not easy. There are many difficulties to be overcome, and sometimes it seems as if our efforts only make things even harder. Dialogue must be built on something. It presupposes and demands a culture of encounter. An encounter which acknowledges that diversity is not only good, it is necessary. So we cannot start off by thinking that the other person is wrong. The common good is sought by starting from our differences, constantly leaving room for new alternatives. In other words, look for something new. Don’t just take “your own slice of the cake”, but discuss, think, and discover together a better solution for everybody. Many times this culture of encounter can involve conflict. This is logical and even desirable. It is not something we should be afraid of or ignore. Rather, we are called to resolve it. This means that we have to “face conflict head on, to resolve it and to make it a link in the chain of a new process” (Evangelii Gaudium 227), because “unity is greater than conflict” (ibid., 228). A unity which does not cancel differences, but experiences them in communion through solidarity and understanding. By trying to understand the thinking of others, their experiences, their hopes, we will be able to see more clearly our shared aspirations. This is the basis of encounter: all of us are brothers and sisters, children of the same heavenly Father, and each of us, with our respective cultures, languages and traditions, has much to contribute to the community. True cultures are not closed in on themselves, but called to meet other cultures and to create new realities. Without this essential presupposition, without this basis of fraternity, it will be very difficult to arrive at dialogue. If someone thinks that there are persons, cultures, or situations which are second, third or fourth class… surely things will go badly, because the bare minimum, a recognition of the dignity of the other, is lacking.
3. All this can serve as a way of approaching the concern expressed in the third question. How do we hear the cry of the poor in order to build a more inclusive society? A fundamental part of helping the poor involves the way we see them. An ideological approach is useless: it ends up using the poor in the service of other political or personal interests (Evangelii Gaudium, 199). To really help them, the first thing is for us to be truly concerned for their persons, valuing them for their goodness. Valuing them, however, also means being ready to learn from them. The poor have much to teach us about humanity, goodness and sacrifice. As Christians, we have an additional reason to love and serve the poor; for in them we see the face and the flesh of Christ, who made himself poor so to enrich us with his poverty (cf. 2 Cor 8:9).
Certainly every country needs economic growth and the creation of wealth, and the extension of these to each citizen, without exclusion. But the creation of this wealth must always be at the service of the common good, and not only for the benefit of a few. On this point we must be clear. For “the worship of the ancient golden calf (cf. Ex 32:1-35) has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose” (Evangelii Gaudium, 55). Those charged with promoting economic development have the responsibility of ensuring that it always has a human face. They have in their hands the possibility of providing employment for many persons and in this way of giving hope to many families. Work is a right and it bestows dignity. Putting bread on the table, putting a roof over the heads of one’s children, giving them health and an education – these are essential for human dignity, and business men and women, politicians, economists, must feel challenged in this regard. I ask them not to yield to an economic model which is idolatrous, which needs to sacrifice human lives on the altar of money and profit. In economics, in business and in politics, what counts first and foremost is the human person and the environment in which he or she lives.
Paraguay is rightly known throughout the world for being the place where the Reductions began. These were among the most significant experiences of evangelization and social organization in history. There the Gospel was the soul and the life of communities which did not know hunger, unemployment, illiteracy or oppression. This historical experience shows us that, today too, a more humane society is possible. Where there is love of people and a willingness to serve them, it is possible to create the conditions necessary for everyone to have access to basic goods, so that no one goes without.
Dear friends, it is a great pleasure to see the number and variety of associations sharing in the creation of an ever more prosperous Paraguay. I see you as a great symphony, each one with his or her own specificity and richness, yet all working together towards a harmonious end. That is what counts.
Love your country, your fellow citizens, and, above all, love the poor. In this way, you will bear witness before the world that another model of development is possible. I am convinced that you possess the greatest strength of all: your humanity, your faith, your love.
I ask Our Lady of Caacupé, our Mother, to watch over you and protect you, and to encourage you in all your efforts. God bless you.
(from Vatican Radio)…