(Vatican Radio) On January 1st each year the Church marks the World Day of Peace, a tradition begun by Pope Paul VI who held the first such observance in January 1968. This year Pope Francis has chosen to focus his second World Peace Day message on the theme of modern slavery and trafficking, with the…
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(Vatican Radio) In his Angelus address on the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God – which is also observed as World Day of Peace – Pope Francis called on us “to fix our gaze of faith and of love on the Mother of Jesus.”
Below, please find the complete text of Pope Francis’ address at the Angelus on Thursday:
Dear brothers and sisters,
On this first day of the year, in the joyful atmosphere of Christmas, the Church invites us to fix our gaze of faith and of love on the Mother of Jesus. In her, the humble woman of Nazareth, “the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14). Because of this it is impossible to separate contemplation of Jesus, the Word of life Who is made visible and tangible (cf. 1 Jn 1:1), from contemplation of Mary, who has given Him her love and her human flesh.
Today we hear the words of the Apostle Paul: “God sent his Son, born of a woman” (Gal 4:4). That “born of a woman” speaks in an essential manner, and for this reason even more strongly, expresses the true humanity of the Son of God. As a Father of the Church, St Athanasius, affirms, “Our Saviour was truly man, and from that comes the salvation of all humanity” (Letter to Epictetus: PG 26).
But St Paul also adds “born under the law” (Gal 4:4). With this expression he emphasizes that Christ has taken up the human condition, freeing it from the closed, legalistic mentality. In fact, the law deprived of grace becomes an insupportable yoke, and instead of being good for us it is bad for us. This, then, is the end for which God sent His Son to earth to become man: a finality of liberation; indeed, of regeneration. Of liberation, “to ransom those under the law” (v. 5); and the ransom occurred with the death of Christ on the Cross. But especially of regeneration: “so that we might receive adoption as sons” (v. 5). Incorporated in Him, men and women really become children of God. This amazing transition takes place in us with Baptism, which grafts us into Christ as living members, and inserts us into the Church.
At the beginning of a new year, it is good to remember the day of our Baptism: we rediscover the gift received in that Sacrament which has regenerated us to new life – the divine life. And this through Mother Church, which has as a model Mother Mary. Thanks to Baptism we were introduced into communion with God and we are no longer at the mercy of evil and sin, but [rather] we receive the love, the tenderness, the mercy of the heavenly Father.
This closeness of God to our existence gives us true peace, the divine gift that we want especially to implore today, the World Day of Peace. “No longer slaves, but brothers”: this is the Message of this Day. It is a message that involves all of us. We are all called to combat every form of slavery and to build fraternity — all of us, each one according to his or her own responsibility.
To Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, we present our good intentions. We ask you to extend the mantle of your maternal protection over each and every one of us in the new year: “O Holy Mother of God despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin” (Sub tuum praesidium).
After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I extend to all of you my heartfelt greetings, wishing you a happy and peaceful new year. I greet in particular the pilgrims from the Scandinavian countries and from Slovakia; the faithful of Asola, Catiglione delle Stiviere, Sccolongo, Sotto il Monte, Bonate Sotto, and Benevento; the young people from Andria and Castenuovo del Garda. A heartfelt greeting to the Sternsinger [“Star boys”] who have come from the diocese of Fulda in Germany. I thank all the Sternsinger in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland for their commitment to go from house to house to proclaim the birth of the Lord and to collect offerings for needy children. Frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr [German: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year].
I turn my thoughts to all those, in dioceses around the world, who have promotted moments of payer for peace. I recall in particular the national march that took place yesterday in Vicenca, and the “Pace in tutte le terre” [“Peace throughout the world”] demonstration promoted in Rome and in numerous cities around the world.
In this moment we are joined with Rovereto, in Trentino, where you will find the great bell known as “Maria Dolens,” which was made in honour of the fallen in all the wars, and was blessed by Blessed Paul VI in 1965. In a little while we will hear the tolling of that bell, that expresses the hope that there will never again be wars, but always a desire for and a commitment to peace and brotherhood among peoples.
[The tolling of the bells is heard on speakers in the Square, courtesy of CTV.]
Happy New Year to everyone! May it be a year of peace in the tender embrace of the Lord and with the maternal protection of Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother.
Please, do not forget to pray for me! Buon pranzo, and arrivederci!
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) In his Angelus address on the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God – which is also observed as World Day of Peace – Pope Francis called on us “to fix our gaze of faith and of love on the Mother of Jesus.” Below, please find the complete text of Pope Francis’ address…
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(Vatican Radio) On January 1, the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, Pope Francis celebrated Solemn Mass in the Basilica of Saint Peter. Below, please find the complete text of the Pope’s homily for the Mass: Today we are reminded of the words of blessing which Elizabeth spoke to the Virgin Mary: “Blessed are…
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Today, 1 January 2015, people all over the world are celebrating the New Year. However, 1st January is also designated as, ‘World Day of Peace.’ This year, Pope Francis has a special message which resonates with Africa: “No Longer Slaves But Brothers and Sisters.”
Pope Francis uses the letter of St. Paul to Philemon to launch his message on the meaning of true brotherhood and sisterhood. Modern day slavery goes against the notion of fraternity. In his homily this morning, the Pope prayed and re-echoed his message when he said, “All of us are called to be free, all are called to be sons and daughters and each, according to his or her own responsibilities, is called to combat modern forms of enslavement. From every people, culture and religion, let us join our forces,” Said Pope Francis.
Human trafficking is referred to as modern day slavery. It may be in the shadows but its presence cannot be ignored.
It is clear Pope Francis has in mind the many migrants who are lured from developing countries to Europe or to the Middle East with promises of fake jobs. Many of Africa’s young women and men have been lied to and have found themselves trafficked, trapped and enslaved. The women and girls are ensnared and are forced into prostitution or traded as sex slaves. In many cases, the traffickers are known and trusted persons or even relatives.
No doubt the Holy Father is also thinking of those who are held in what has come to be known as debt bondage. A person becomes a bonded labourer when they are forced to work as a means of repayment for a loan.
Experts say that traffickers always find a way of making those trafficked perpetually indebted to them. First, one is offered a job somewhere abroad as a model or in construction work. The person offered the so-called job usually has no money to cover travel; pay the fee to the one who has found the ‘job;’ subsistence money and several other payments. It usually then falls upon the family to borrow the money from the same traffickers. When the victims reach their destination they often discover, to their dismay, that there is no job as a model or college for further education. They are then forced to work on agricultural plantations or in factories for many hours in horrible conditions. This is always disguised as paying-off the “debts owed.” Unfortunately the value of the work becomes greater than the original amount borrowed. In these cases, the debt is never fully paid. The debt is even passed on to the next generation. Various forms of force are used to make the victims stay and continue to work. In most cases the victims are under armed guard or are locked-up in a place of work. Sometimes, they live with the threat of violence to their families back home should they not comply.
Pope Francis puts it succinctly when he says, “I think also of the living conditions of many migrants who, in their dramatic odyssey, experience hunger, are deprived of freedom, robbed of their possessions, or undergo physical and sexual abuse. In a particular way, I think of those among them who, upon arriving at their destination after a gruelling journey marked by fear and insecurity, are detained in at times inhumane conditions. I think of those among them, who for different social, political and economic reasons, are forced to live clandestinely. My thoughts also turn to those who, in order to remain within the law, agree to disgraceful living and working conditions, especially in those cases where the laws of a nation create or permit a structural dependency of migrant workers on their employers, as, for example, when the legality of their residency is made dependent on their labour contract. Yes, I am thinking of ‘slave labour.’”
Slave labour arises from circumstances of abduction, kidnapping, child-marriage, domestic work and so on. Increasingly more and more people are being trafficked from developing countries for body parts where vital organs (heart, liver, kidneys etc.) are “harvested” from them against their consent.
There have been recent calls on the Church in Africa to work closely with governments to ensure that programmes of service delivery are responding to the needs and aspirations of the people. This is because poverty is the major cause of human trafficking. Greed and patriarchal attitudes also play a big role.
For a start, in Africa, there is need to create greater awareness for the problem. What Africa also needs most is a network of information through research and data collection that will clearly show the magnitude of the problem of human trafficking on the continent.
Fortunately Dioceses in Africa and religious congregations are starting to embrace human trafficking as an important apostolate. Many Church justice and peace projects, in Africa, are now being directed towards this noble cause. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is one such organisation pioneering work in this area and a potential partner for the Church.
Nevertheless much more can and needs to be done. In the words of Pope Francis, individuals and nations should end indifference and tolerance of human trafficking.
(Fr. Paul Samasumo)
e-mail: engafrica@vatiradio.va
(from Vatican Radio)…