(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, is participating in the Second World Meeting of Social Movements in Bolivia and spoke to the delegates on Tuesday.
Listen to our report:
Pope Francis is set to take part in the event on July 9 during his Apostolic Visit to Bolivia. More than 1,500 delegates from Latin America and other continents, as well as many bishops and pastoral workers, are due to participate in the event organized to promote collaboration between popular organizations and local Churches in the Latin American region.
In his July 7th address to delegates, Cardinal Turkson offered several points on which participants could ponder in their deliberations.
In the first place, he urged the world to ‘move forward in a process of change in defence of the Earth and of human dignity’, a task to be advanced by religious leaders, businesspeople, and politicians in favour of the poor.
Those same poor and marginalized have organized themselves into social movements to resist social exclusion and ‘scandalous inequality’ by ‘resolving these access problems with their own hands’, he said. ‘The Church’, he continues, ‘desires to join her hands with theirs in these processes’ and to promote ‘better conditions for integral development of the excluded as people, families, and towns’.
‘The poor, peasants, and indigenous peoples’, he continued, ‘have their own way of doing politics’, which are ‘different from dominant forms and often not understood by the parameters of Western rational processes’. The Church, however, he said, ‘recognizes, valorises, and promotes these popular forms of expression’.
Cardinal Turkson went on to address the way in which social movements contrast with the global mentality of consumerism and colonialism. Instead of promoting waste and technocratic ideology, popular movements seek ‘community forms of work organization, land, and housing’, he said. These are new forms of life which the Church seeks to promote for the ‘dignity of the person over and above unbridled consumerism’. Above all, ‘social movements desire peace’, he said.
Concluding his remarks, Cardinal Turkson expressed his wish that the Second World Meeting of Social Movements be a hallmark in the dialogue between grassroots movements and the universal Church by recalling the words of Pope Francis’ recent Encyclical, Laudato si’: On the Care of our Common Home. ‘We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.’ (LS 139)
(from Vatican Radio)…
Pope Francis on Tuesday held a meeting with Political, Economic, and Civic Leaders at Saint Francis Church in Quito, Ecuador. Below please find the official English translation of the prepared remarks of the Holy Father.
Meeting with Political, Economic and Civic Leaders
Saint Francis Church, Quito
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Dear Friends,
I am pleased to be with you, men and women who represent and advance the social, political and economic life of this country.
As I entered this church, the Mayor of Quito gave me the keys to the city. So I can say that here, in Saint Francis of Quito, I feel at home. His expression of affectionate closeness, opening your doors to me, allows me to speak, in turn, about a few other keys: keys to our life in society, beginning with family life.
Our society benefits when each person and social group feels truly at home. In a family, parents, grandparents and children feel at home; no one is excluded. If someone has a problem, even a serious one, even if he brought it upon himself, the rest of the family comes to his assistance; they support him. His problems are theirs. Should it not be the same in society? Our relationships in society and political life, though, are often based on confrontation and the attempt to eliminate our opponents. My position, my ideas and my plans will move forward if I can prevail over others and impose my will. Is this the way a family should be? In families, everyone contributes to the common purpose, everyone works for the common good, not denying each person’s individuality but encouraging and supporting it. The joys and sorrows of each are felt by all. That is what it means to be a family! If only we could view our political opponents or neighbors in the same way we view our children or our spouse, mother or father! Do we love our society? Do we love our country, the community which we are trying to build? Do we love it in the abstract, in theory? Let us love it by our actions more than by our words! In every person, in concrete situations, in our life together, love always leads to communication, never to isolation.
This feeling can give rise to small gestures which strengthen personal bonds. I have often spoken the importance of the family as the primary cell of society. In the family, we find the basic values of love, fraternity and mutual respect, which translate into essential values for society as a whole: gratitude, solidarity and subsidiarity.
Parents know that all their children are equally loved, even though each has his or her own character. But when children refuse to share what they have freely received, this relationship breaks down. The love of their parents helps children to overcome their selfishness, to learn to live with others, to yield and be patient. In the wider life of society we come to see that “gratuitousness” is not something extra, but rather a necessary condition of justice. Who we are, and what we have, has been given to us so that we can place it at the service of others. Our task is to make it bear fruit in good works. The goods of the earth are meant for everyone, and however much someone may parade his property, it has a social mortgage. In this way we move beyond purely economic justice, based on commerce, towards social justice, which upholds the fundamental human right to a dignified life. The tapping of natural resources, which are so abundant in Ecuador, must not be concerned with short-term benefits. As stewards of these riches which we have received, we have an obligation toward society as a whole and towards future generations. We cannot bequeath this heritage to them without proper care for the environment, without a sense of gratuitousness born of our contemplation of the created world. Among us today are some of our brothers and sisters representing the indigenous peoples of the Equatorial Amazon. That region is one of the “richest areas both in the number of species and in endemic, rare or less protected species… it requires greater protection because of its immense importance for the global ecosystem… it possesses an enormously complex biodiversity which is almost impossible to appreciate fully, yet when [such woodlands] are burned down or leveled for purposes of cultivation, within the space of a few years countless species are lost and the areas frequently become arid wastelands” (cf. Laudato Si’, 37-38). Ecuador – together with other countries bordering the Amazon – has an opportunity to become a teacher of integral ecology. We received this world as an inheritance from past generations, but also as a loan from future generations, to whom we will have to return it!
Out of the family’s experience of fraternity is born solidarity in society, which does not only consist in giving to those in need, but in feeling responsible for one another. If we see others as our brothers and sisters, then no one can be left out or set aside.
Ecuador, like many Latin American nations, is now experiencing profound social and cultural changes, new challenges which need to be faced by every sector of society. Migration, overcrowded cities, consumerism, crises in the family, unemployment and pockets of poverty: all these factors create uncertainty and tensions which threaten social harmony. Laws and regulations, as well as social planning, need to aim at inclusion, create opportunities for dialogue and encounter, while leaving behind all forms of repression, excessive control or loss of freedom as painful past memories. Hoping in a better future calls for offering real opportunities to people, especially young people, creating employment, and ensuring an economic growth which is shared by all (rather than simply existing on paper, in macroeconomic statistics), and promoting a sustainable development capable of generating a solid and cohesive social fabric.
Finally, the respect for others which we learn in the family finds social expression in subsidiarity. To recognize that our choices are not necessarily the only legitimate ones is a healthy exercise in humility. In acknowledging the goodness inherent in others, even with their limitations, we see the richness present in diversity and the value of complementarity. Individuals and groups have the right to go their own way, even though they may sometimes make mistakes. In full respect for that freedom, civil society is called to help each person and social organization to take up its specific role and thus contribute to the common good. Dialogue is needed and is fundamental for arriving at the truth, which cannot be imposed, but sought with a sincere and critical spirit. In a participatory democracy, each social group, indigenous peoples, Afro-Ecuadorians, women, civic associations and those engaged in public service are all indispensable participants in this dialogue. The walls, patios and cloisters of this city eloquently make this point: rooted in elements of Incan and Caranqui culture, beautiful in their proportions and shapes, boldly and strikingly combining different styles, the works of art produced by the “Quito school” sum up that great dialogue, with its successes and failures, which is Ecuador’s history. Today we see how beautiful it is. If the past was marked by errors and abuses – how can we deny it! – we can say that the amalgamation which resulted radiates such exuberance that we can look to the future with great hope.
The Church wishes for her part to cooperate in the pursuit of the common good, through her social and educational works, promoting ethical and spiritual values, and serving as a prophetic sign which brings a ray of light and hope to all, especially those most in need.
Thank you for being here, for listening to me. I ask you please to carry my words of encouragement to the different communities and groups which you represent. May the Lord grant that the civil society which you represent will always be a fitting setting for experiencing and practicing these values of which I have spoken.
…
(Vatican Radio) In his homily during the “Mass for the Evangelization of Peoples,” celebrated in Quito’s Parque Bicentenario (Bicentennial Park), Pope Francis focused on the theme of unity and independence. The Holy Father spoke of Jesus’ cry for unity at the Last Supper, and Latin America’s cry for independence which is commemorated in the Park where the Liturgy took place. “I would like to see these two cries joined together,” he said, “under the beautiful challenge of evangelization.” He continued, “We evangelize not with grand words, or complicated concepts, but with ‘the joy of the Gospel’.” The full text of Pope Francis’ prepared homily for the Mass for the Evangelization of Peoples can be found below: Mass for the Evangelization of Peoples Quito, Parque Bicentenario
Tuesday, 7 July 2015 The word of God calls us to live in unity, that the world may believe. I think of those hushed words of Jesus during the Last Supper as more of a shout, a cry rising up from this Mass which we are celebrating in Bicentennial Park. The bicentennial which this Park commemorates was that of Latin America’s cry for independence. It was a cry which arose from being conscious of a lack of freedom, of exploitation and despoliation, of being “subject to the passing whims of the powers that be” ( Evangelii Gaudium , 213). I would like to see these two cries joined together, under the beautiful challenge of evangelization. We evangelize not with grand words, or complicated concepts, but with “the joy of the Gospel”, which “fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. For those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness” (ibid., 1). We who are gathered here at table with Jesus are ourselves a cry, a shout born of the conviction that his presence leads us to unity, “pointing to a horizon of beauty and inviting others to a delicious banquet” (ibid., 15). “Father, may they be one… so that the world may believe”. This was Jesus’ prayer as he raised his eyes to heaven. This petition arose in a context of mission: “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world”. At that moment, the Lord was experiencing in his own flesh the worst of this world, a world he nonetheless loved dearly. Knowing full well its intrigues, its falsity and its betrayals, he did not turn away, he did not complain. We too encounter daily a world torn apart by wars and violence. It would be facile to think that division and hatred only concern struggles between countries or groups in society. Rather, they are a manifestation of that “widespread individualism” which divides us and sets us against one another (cf. Evangelii Gaudium , 99), that legacy of sin lurking in the heart of human beings, which causes so much suffering in society and all of creation. But is it precisely this troubled world into which Jesus sends us. We must not respond with nonchalance, or complain we do not have the resources to do the job, or that the problems are too big. Instead, we must respond by taking up the cry of Jesus and accepting the grace and challenge of being builders of unity. There was no shortage of conviction or strength in that cry for freedom which arose a little more than two hundred years ago. But history tells us that it only made headway once personal differences were set aside, together with the desire for power and the inability to appreciate other movements of liberation which were different yet not thereby opposed. Evangelization can be a way to unite our hopes, concerns, ideals and even utopian visions. We believe this and we make it our cry. I have already said that, “in our world, especially in some countries, different forms of war and conflict are re-emerging, yet we Christians remain steadfast in our intention to respect others, to heal wounds, to build bridges, to strengthen relationships and to ‘bear one another’s burdens’ ( Evangelii Gaudium , 67). The desire for unity involves the delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing, the conviction that we have an immense treasure to share, one which grows stronger from being shared, and becomes ever more sensitive to the needs of others (cf. ibid., 9). Hence the need to work for inclusivity at every level, to avoid forms of selfishness, to build communication and dialogue, to encourage collaboration. We need to give our hearts to our companions along the way, without suspicion or distrust. “Trusting others is an art, and peace is an art” (ibid., 244). Our unity can hardly shine forth if spiritual worldliness makes us feud among ourselves in a futile quest for power, prestige, pleasure or economic security. Such unity is already an act of mission, “that the world may believe”. Evangelization does not consist in proselytizing, but in attracting by our witness those who are far off, in humbly drawing near to those who feel distant from God and the Church, those who are fearful or indifferent, and saying to them: “The Lord, with great respect and love, is also calling you to be a part of his people” ( Evangelii Gaudium , 113). The Church’s mission as sacrament of salvation also has to do with her identity as a pilgrim people called to embrace all the nations of the earth. The more intense the communion between us, the more effective our mission becomes (cf. John Paul II, Pastores Gregis , 22). Becoming a missionary Church requires constantly fostering communion, since mission does not have to do with outreach alone… We also need to be missionaries within the Church, showing that she is “a mother who reaches out, a welcoming home, a constant school of missionary communion” ( Aparecida Document , 370). Jesus’ prayer can be realized because he has consecrated us. “For their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth”. The spiritual life of an evangelizer is born of this profound truth, which should not be confused with a few comforting religious exercises. Jesus consecrates us so that we can encounter him personally. And this encounter leads us in turn to encounter others, to become involved with our world and to develop a passion for evangelization (cf. Evangelii Gaudium , 78). Intimacy with God, in itself incomprehensible, is revealed by images which speak to us of communion, communication, self-giving and love. For that reason, the unity to which Jesus calls us is not uniformity, but rather a “multifaceted and inviting harmony” ( Evangelii Gaudium , 117). The wealth of our differences, our diversity which becomes unity whenever we commemorate Holy Thursday, makes us wary of all totalitarian, ideological or sectarian schemes. Nor is this unity something we can fashion as we will, setting conditions, choosing who can belong and who cannot. Jesus prays that we will all become part of a great family in which God is our Father and all of us are brothers and sisters. This is not about having the same tastes, the same concerns, the same gifts. We are brothers and sisters because God created us out of love and destined us, purely of his own initiative, to be his sons and daughters (cf. Eph 1:5). We are brothers and sisters because “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying “Abba! Father!” (Gal 4:6). We are brothers and sisters because, justified by the blood of Christ Jesus (cf. Rom 5:9), we have passed from death to life and been made “coheirs” of the promise (cf. Gal 3:26-29; Rom 8:17). That is the salvation which God makes possible for us, and which the Church proclaims with joy: to be part of the divine “we”. Our cry, in this place linked to the original cry for freedom in this country, echoes that of Saint Paul: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16). It is a cry every bit as urgent and pressing as was the cry for independence. It is similarly thrilling in its ardor. May each of you be a witness to a fraternal communion which shines forth in our world! How beautiful it would be if all could admire how much we care for one another, how we encourage and help each other. Giving of ourselves establishes an interpersonal relationship; we do not give “things” but our very selves. In any act of giving, we give ourselves. “Giving of oneself” means letting all the power of that love which is God’s Holy Spirit take root in our lives, opening our hearts to his creative power. When we give of ourselves, we discover our true identity as children of God in the image of the Father and, like him, givers of life; we discover that we are brothers and sisters of Jesus, to whom we bear witness. This is what it means to evangelize; this is the new revolution – for our faith is always revolutionary –, this is our deepest and most enduring cry. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Tuesday celebrates Mass for hundreds of thousands of people gathered at Quito’s Bicentennial Park on the second full day of his pastoral visit to Ecuador. Earlier the Pope met with the country’s Catholic bishops at a closed door encounter in the park’s Congress Centre, as Philippa Hitchen reports:
Listen:
The giant bicentennial park was inaugurated just two years ago on the site where Quito’s old airport stood, the same site where the plane carrying another Pope – John Paul II – touched down during his visit to Ecuador back in 1985.
The park is one of the most ambitious green spaces in the city, as well as hosting a Congress Centre for music festivals and major sporting events. It also provided a perfect spot for Pope Francis’ private meeting with some 40 members of Ecuador’s bishops conference before the celebration of Mass dedicated to the themes of unity and evangelisation.
Later on Tuesday afternoon, Pope Francis will visit Ecuador’s Pontifical Catholic University, run by the Jesuits, for a meeting with students, teachers and others involved in the vital mission of education. There the Pope is expected to respond directly to comments and questions put to him by a young student, a teacher and the rector of the university.
From there Pope Francis moves onto the imposing church and monastery of St Francis, the oldest religious building in the whole of Latin America. Built on the site of a former palace and military headquarters of the indigenous Inca rulers, its construction began in the mid-16th century, just a few years after the founding of the city, but was not completed for about another hundred and fifty years. The complex, which has been partially destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt, now houses over 3.500 works of colonial art, including a famous 18th century sculpture known as the Virgin of Quito. In this august setting, the Pope will meet with members of the city’s contemporary art world, as well as business leaders, sporting and voluntary organisations and representatives of the indigenous peoples living in Ecuador’s Amazon basin.
Finally, before returning to the Apostolic Nunciature, Pope Francis will make a brief private visit to the ornate Jesuit church in Quito, one of the most significant works of Spanish Baroque architecture on the continent of Latin America.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Approximately one-and-a-half million people filled Quito’s Bicentennial Park for an open air Mass with Pope Francis, on the second day of his Apostolic Voyage to South America.
The Park is the largest green space in the city, built on the site of Quito’s old airport. Bicentennial Park was inaugurated 27 April 2013 to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of Ecuador’s independence.
Prior to the Mass, Pope Francis was able to meet privately with the Bishops of Ecuador. Including retired prelates, there are 52 Ecuadoran Bishops; more than 40 were present for the meeting with the Pope and for the Solemn Celebration of the Eucharist that followed.
(from Vatican Radio)…