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24 Sep MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE 109th WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES 2023

Posted at 11:43h in by

Dear brothers and sisters!

The migratory flows of our times are the expression of a complex and varied
phenomenon that, to be properly understood, requires a careful analysis of
every aspect of its different stages, from departure to arrival, including the
possibility of return. As a contribution to this effort, I have chosen to devote the
Message for the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees to the freedom that
should always mark the decision to leave one’s native land.
“Free to leave, free to stay” was the title of an initiative of solidarity promoted
several years ago by the Italian Episcopal Conference as a concrete response to
the challenges posed by contemporary migration movements. From attentive
listening to the Particular Churches, I have come to see that ensuring that that
freedom is a widely shared pastoral concern.
“An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: ‘Get up, take the
child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for
Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him” (Mt 2:13). The flight of
the Holy Family into Egypt was not the result of a free decision, nor were many
of the migrations that marked the history of the people of Israel. The decision to
migrate should always be free, yet in many cases, even in our day, it is not.
Conflicts, natural disasters, or more simply the impossibility of living a dignified
and prosperous life in one’s native land is forcing millions of persons to leave.
Already in 2003, Saint John Paul II stated that “as regards migrants and
refugees, building conditions of peace means in practice being seriously
committed to safeguarding first of all the right not to emigrate, that is, the right
to live in peace and dignity in one’s own country” (Message for the 90th World
Day of Migrants and Refugees, 3).
“They took their livestock and the goods that they had acquired in the land of
Canaan, and they came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him” (Gen
46:6). A grave famine forced Jacob and his entire family to seek refuge in Egypt,
where his son Joseph ensured their survival. Persecutions, wars, atmospheric
phenomena and dire poverty are among the most visible causes of forced
migrations today. Migrants flee because of poverty, fear or desperation.
Eliminating these causes and thus putting an end to forced migration calls for
shared commitment on the part of all, in accordance with the responsibilities of
each. This commitment begins with asking what we can do, but also what we
need to stop doing. We need to make every effort to halt the arms race,
economic colonialism, the plundering of other people’s resources and the
devastation of our common home.
“All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell
their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need”
(Acts 2:44-45). The ideal of the first Christian community seems so distant from
today’s reality! To make migration a choice that is truly free, efforts must be
made to ensure to everyone an equal share in the common good, respect for his
or her fundamental rights, and access to an integral human development. Only
in this way will we be able to offer to each person the possibility of a dignified
and fulfilling life, whether individually or within families. Clearly, the principal
responsibility falls to the countries of origin and their leaders, who are called to
practice a good politics – one that is transparent, honest, farsighted and at the
service of all, especially those most vulnerable. At the same time, they must be
empowered to do this, without finding themselves robbed of their natural and
human resources and without outside interference aimed at serving the interests
of a few. Where circumstances make possible a decision either to migrate or to
stay, there is a need to ensure that the decision be well informed and carefully
considered, in order to avoid great numbers of men, women and children falling
victim to perilous illusions or unscrupulous traffickers.
“In this year of jubilee you shall return, every one of you, to your property” (Lev
25:13). For the people of Israel, the celebration of the jubilee year represented
an act of collective justice: “everyone was allowed to return to their original
situation, with the cancellation of all debts, restoration of the land, and an
opportunity once more to enjoy the freedom proper to the members of the
People of God” (Catechesis, 10 February 2016). As we approach the Holy Year of
2025, we do well to remember this aspect of the jubilee celebrations. Joint
efforts are needed by individual countries and the international community to
ensure that all enjoy the right not to be forced to emigrate, in other words, the
chance to live in peace and with dignity in one’s own country. This right has yet
to be codified, but it is one of fundamental importance, and its protection must
be seen as a shared responsibility on the part of all States with respect to a
common good that transcends national borders. Indeed, since the world’s
resources are not unlimited, the development of the economically poorer
countries depends on the capacity for sharing that we can manage to generate
among all countries. Until this right is guaranteed – and here we are speaking of
a long process – many people will still have to emigrate in order to seek a better
life.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me
something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and
you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and
you visited me” (Mt 25:35-36). These words are a constant admonition to see in
the migrant not simply a brother or sister in difficulty, but Christ himself, who
knocks at our door. Consequently, even as we work to ensure that in every case
migration is the fruit of a free decision, we are called to show maximum respect
for the dignity of each migrant; this entails accompanying and managing waves
of migration as best we can, constructing bridges and not walls, expanding
channels for a safe and regular migration. In whatever place we decide to build
our future, in the country of our birth or elsewhere, the important thing is that
there always be a community ready to welcome, protect, promote and integrate
everyone, without distinctions and without excluding anyone.
The synodal path that we have undertaken as a Church leads us to see in those
who are most vulnerable – among whom are many migrants and refugees –
special companions on our way, to be loved and cared for as brothers and
sisters. Only by walking together will we be able to go far and reach the common
goal of our journey.
Rome, Saint John Lateran, 11 May 2023

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13 May ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE PRESENTATION OF CREDENCIAL LETTERS BY THE AMBASSADORS OF ICELAND, BANGLADESH, SYRIA, THE GAMBIA AND KAZAKHSTAN ACCREDITED TO THE HOLY SEE

Posted at 11:58h in by

[…] If we take an honest look at the current situation of our world, even a
cursory glance could leave us shocked and discouraged. One thinks of the many
places in the world such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Myanmar, Lebanon and Jerusalem, which are facing conflict and unrest. Haiti
continues to experience a grave social, economic and humanitarian crisis. Then
there is, of course, the ongoing war in Ukraine which has led to untold suffering
and death. In addition, we see the increasing flow of forced migration, the
effects of climate change and a large number of our brothers and sisters around
the world who are still living in poverty due to the lack of access to drinking
water, food, basic healthcare, education and dignified work. There is, without a
doubt, a growing imbalance in the global economic system.
When will we learn from history that the ways of violence, oppression and
unbridled ambition to conquer land do not benefit the common good? When will
we learn that investing in the wellbeing of people is always better than spending
resources on the development of deadly weapons? When will we learn that
social, economic and security issues are all interrelated? When will we learn that
we are one human family which can only truly thrive when all of its members are
respected, cared for and able to make their own unique contributions? Until we
come to this realization, we will continue to experience what I have been calling
a third world war being fought piecemeal. Perhaps this description seems
troubling to our sensibilities, especially due to our contentment over the
extraordinary technological and scientific achievements made or our satisfaction
with the steps already taken to address social issues and further develop
international law. While they are all certainly laudable in their own right, we
must never become complacent or indifferent concerning the current situation of
the world nor fail to guarantee that all of our brothers and sisters benefit from
these achievements and developments.
At the same time, we must also remain optimistic and determined that the
human family is capable of successfully facing the challenges of our day. In this
regard, we look to the service that you, dear Ambassadors, are called to carry
out. As you well know, the Office of Ambassador is an ancient and noble one. It
was even incorporated into Christian Scripture by the Apostle Paul when he used
the term to describe the followers of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20). Indeed, the
positive role of the Ambassador is attested to in every age and in varying types
of situations. If you allow me, I would like to share some brief thoughts on why I
think that is the case. As a man or woman of dialogue, a bridge builder, an
Ambassador can serve as a figure of hope. Hope in the ultimate goodness of
humanity. Hope that common ground is possible because we are all part of the
human family. Hope that the last word in avoiding conflict or resolving one
peacefully is never said. Hope that peace is not an unrealistic dream. While still
faithfully serving his or her country of origin, the Ambassador tries to put aside
unhelpful emotions and rise above entrenched positions in order to find
acceptable solutions. It is certainly not an easy task. The voice of reason and
calls for peace often fall on deaf ears. The current situation of the world,
however, only further highlights the need for Ambassadors and their colleagues
to be champions of dialogue, champions of hope. The Holy See values the
important role that you play, as evidenced by its own diplomatic involvement on
the bilateral and multilateral levels.
For its part, the Holy See, in conformity with its nature and particular mission,
strives to protect the inviolable dignity of each person, promote the common
good and foster human fraternity among all peoples. These efforts, which do not
include the pursuit of political, commercial or military aims, are carried out
through the exercise of a positive neutrality. Far from being an “ethical
neutrality”, especially in the face of human suffering, this affords the Holy See a
certain standing in the international community that allows it to better assist in
the resolution of conflicts and other matters.
In light of these observations, I am confident that there will be many
opportunities for you to collaborate with the Holy See on matters of common
concern. In this regard, I can assure you that the Secretariat of State, along
with the other Dicasteries and Offices of the Holy See, are more than willing to
engage with you in open and honest dialogue as we work together for the
betterment of the human family. As you begin this new service, dear
Ambassadors, I willingly invoke upon you, your families, your diplomatic
collaborators and staff, abundant divine blessings. […]

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30 Apr APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS to HUNGARY (28 – 30 APRIL 2023) REGINA CAELI

Posted at 11:56h in by

I thank Cardinal Erdő for his kind words, and I greet Her Excellency the
President, the Prime Minister and the Authorities present. As I prepare to return
to Rome, I wish to express my gratitude to them, to my brother bishops, the
priests and consecrated men and women, and to all the beloved Hungarian
people for their warm welcome and the affection I have experienced in these
days. I am also grateful to those who travelled a great distance to be here and
to those who worked so hard, and so well, for this visit. To all of you I say,
köszönöm, Isten fizesse! [Thank you, may God reward you!]. I think especially
of the sick and the elderly, of those who were unable to be present with us, of
those who are lonely and those who have lost faith in God and hope in life. I am
close to all of you; I pray for you and I give you my blessing.
My greeting goes likewise to the members of the Diplomatic Corps and our
brothers and sisters of other Christian confessions. I thank you for your presence
and for the fact that in this country the different confessions and religions
interact and are supportive of one another. Cardinal Erdő said that here you have
been living “on the eastern border of Western Christianity for a thousand years.”
It is a beautiful thing when borders do not represent boundaries that separate,
but points of contact, and when believers in Christ emphasize first the charity
that unites us, rather than the historical, cultural and religious differences that
divide us. We are united by the Gospel, and it is by returning there, to the
source, that our ecumenical journey will continue, in accordance with the will of
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who desires us to be united in one flock.
We now turn to Our Lady. To her, Magna Domina Hungarorum, whom you invoke
as Queen and Patroness, I entrust all Hungarians. From this great city and from
this noble country, I desire to entrust to her heart the faith and the future of the
entire continent of Europe, which has been on my mind in these days and, in
particular, the cause of peace. Blessed Virgin, watch over the peoples who suffer
so greatly. In a special way, watch over the neighbouring, beleaguered Ukrainian
people and the Russian people, both consecrated to you. You, who are the
Queen of Peace, instil in the hearts of peoples and their leaders the desire to
build peace and to give the younger generations a future of hope, not war, a
future full of cradles not tombs, a world of brothers and sisters, not walls and
barricades. […]

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09 Apr URBI ET ORBI MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS EASTER 2023

Posted at 10:55h in by

Dear brothers and sisters,
Christ is risen!
On this day we proclaim that he, the Lord of our life, is “the resurrection and the
life” of the world (cf. Jn 11:25). Today is Easter, the Pasch, a word that means
“passage”, for in Jesus the decisive passage of humanity has been made: the
passage from death to life, from sin to grace, from fear to confidence, from
desolation to communion. In him, the Lord of time and history, I would like to
say to everyone, with heartfelt joy, Happy Easter!
May this Easter be for each of you, dear brothers and sisters, and in particular
for the sick and the poor, the elderly and those experiencing moments of trial
and weariness, a passage from affliction to consolation. We are not alone: Jesus,
the Living One, is with us, forever. Let the Church and the world rejoice, for
today our hopes no longer come up against the wall of death, for the Lord has
built us a bridge to life. Yes, brothers and sisters, at Easter the destiny of the
world was changed, and on this day, which also coincides with the most probable
date of Christ’s resurrection, we can rejoice to celebrate, by pure grace, the
most important and beautiful day of history.
Christòs anesti! – “Christ is risen; he is truly risen!” In this traditional
proclamation of the Churches of the East, the word “truly” reminds us that our
hope is not an illusion, but the truth! And that, in the wake of Easter, humanity’s
journey, now marked by hope, advances all the more readily. The first witnesses
of the resurrection show this by their example. The Gospels speak of the haste
with which, on the morning of Easter, the women “ran to tell the disciples” (Mt
28:8). Mary Magdalene “ran and went to Simon Peter” (Jn 20:2), while John and
Peter himself then “ran together” (cf. v. 4) to the place where Jesus had been
buried. Later, on the evening of Easter, after meeting the Risen Lord on the road
to Emmaus, two disciples “set out without delay” (cf. Lk 24:33) and travelled
several miles, uphill and in the dark, spurred on by the irrepressible joy of Easter
that burned in their hearts (cf. v. 32). The same joy that led Peter, on the shore
of the Lake of Galilee, after catching sight of the risen Jesus, to leave the boat
with the others, to throw himself immediately into the water and to swim quickly
towards him (cf. Jn 21:7). At Easter, then, the journey quickens and becomes a
race, since humanity now sees the goal of its journey, the meaning of its destiny,
Jesus Christ, and is called to make haste to meet him, who is the hope of the
world.
May we too make haste to progress on a journey of reciprocal trust: trust among
individuals, peoples and nations. May we allow ourselves to experience
amazement at the joyful proclamation of Easter, at the light that illumines the
darkness and the gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped.
Let us make haste to surmount our conflicts and divisions, and to open our
hearts to those in greatest need. Let us hasten to pursue paths of peace and
fraternity. Let us rejoice at the concrete signs of hope that reach us from so
many countries, beginning with those that offer assistance and welcome to all
fleeing from war and poverty.
At the same time, along this journey we also encounter many stumbling blocks,
which make it more difficult and demanding to hasten towards the Risen Lord. To
him, then, let us make our prayer: Lord, help us to run to meet you! Help us to
open our hearts!
Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the
light of Easter upon the people of Russia. Comfort the wounded and all those
who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may
return safe and sound to their families. Open the hearts of the entire
international community to strive to end this war and all conflict and bloodshed
in our world, beginning with Syria, which still awaits peace. Strengthen all those
affected by the violent earthquake in Turkey and in Syria itself. Let us pray for all
those who have lost family and friends, and for those left homeless. May they
receive consolation from God and assistance from the family of nations.
On this day, Lord, we entrust to you the city of Jerusalem, the first witness of
your resurrection. I express deep concern for the attacks in recent days that
threaten the desired climate of trust and reciprocal respect necessary for the
resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace may
reign in the Holy City and in the entire region.
Lord, aid Lebanon, which still seeks stability and unity, so that divisions may be
overcome and all citizens cooperate for the common good of the country.
Be mindful of the beloved people of Tunisia, and in particular the young and
those suffering from social and economic hardship, so that they may not lose
hope and may work together to build a future of peace and fraternity.
Turn your gaze to Haiti, which has long experienced a grave social, economic and
humanitarian crisis, and support the efforts of political actors and the
international community to seek a definitive solution to the many problems that
afflict that sorely tried people.
Consolidate the processes of peace and reconciliation undertaken in Ethiopia and
in South Sudan, and grant an end to violence in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.
Sustain, Lord, the Christian communities that today celebrate Easter in particular
circumstances, as in Nicaragua and Eritrea, and remember all who are prevented
from freely and publicly professing their faith. Grant consolation to victims of
international terrorism, especially in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique and
Nigeria.
Help Myanmar to pursue paths of peace, and enlighten the hearts of leaders, so
that the deeply afflicted Rohingya may encounter justice.
Comfort refugees, deportees, political prisoners and migrants, especially those
who are most vulnerable, as well as the victims of hunger, poverty and the dire
effects of the drug trade, human trafficking and all other forms of slavery. Lord,
inspire the leaders of nations to ensure that no man or woman may encounter
discrimination and be violated in his or her dignity; that in full respect for human
rights and democracy these social wounds may be healed; that the common
good of the citizenry may be pursued always and solely; and that security and
the conditions needed for dialogue and peaceful coexistence may be guaranteed.
Brothers, sisters, may we rediscover the enjoyment of the journey, quicken the
heartbeat of hope and experience a foretaste of the beauty of heaven! Today, let
us summon the energy to advance in goodness towards Goodness itself, which
never disappoints. If, as one of the ancient Fathers once wrote, “the greatest sin
is not to believe in the power of the resurrection” (SAINT ISAAC OF NINEVEH,
Sermones Ascetici, I, 5), today let us believe and profess: “Christ is truly risen
from the dead!” (Sequence). We believe in you, Lord Jesus. We believe that, with
you, hope is reborn and the journey continues. May you, the Lord of life,
encourage us on our journey and repeat to us, as you did to the disciples on the
evening of Easter: “Peace be with you!” (Jn 19:21).

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07 Apr THE WAY OF THE CROSS 2023

Posted at 11:54h in by

Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross

(Voices of peace from three migrants from Africa, South Asia and the Middle
East)
And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in
from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus (Lk 23:26).
[1] I am someone wounded by hatred. Once you experience hatred, you do not
forget it, it changes you. Hatred takes on terrible forms. It leads a human
being to use a pistol not only to shoot others, but also to break their bones while
other people look on. There is a void of love inside me that makes me feel like a
useless weight. Who will be a Cyrenian for me?
[2] I live my life on the road: I escaped from bombs, knives, hunger and pain. I
have been pushed onto a truck, hidden in trunks, thrown onto unsafe boats. Yet
my journey continued in order to reach a place of safety, one that offers freedom
and opportunity, where I can give and receive love, practice my faith and where
hope is real. Who will be a Cyrenian for me?
[3] Frequently, I am asked: Who are you? Why are you here? What is your
status? Do you expect to stay? Where will you go? These are not questions
that are intended to hurt, but they do hurt. They reduce my hopes to a check
on the boxes of a form. I must choose foreigner, victim, asylum seeker, refugee,
migrant or other. Yet what I want to write is person, brother, friend, believer,
neighbour. Who will be a Cyrenian for me?

Let us pray together, saying: Forgive us, Lord Jesus!
When we disdained you in the unfortunate: Forgive us, Lord Jesus!
When we ignored you in those who need help: Forgive us, Lord Jesus!
When we abandoned you in the defenceless: Forgive us, Lord Jesus!
When we did not serve you in those who suffer: Forgive us, Lord Jesus!

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11 Mar SPEECH OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEETING PROMOTED BY “STRATEGIC ALLIANCE OF CATHOLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES” (SACRU) E DALLA FONDAZIONE 100TH YEAR FOR THE PONTIFICE

Posted at 11:39h in by

First, greater inclusivity. The volume discusses the problem of the discrimination
often encountered by women, together with other vulnerable groups in society. I
have frequently insisted that diversity must never end up in inequality, but in
grateful mutual acceptance. True wisdom is multifaceted; it is learned and lived
out by journeying together; only thus does it become a “driver” of peace. Your
research thus represents a summons, thanks to women and on behalf of women,
not to discriminate but to integrate everyone, especially those most vulnerable,
at the economic, cultural, racial and gender levels. No one is to be excluded: this
is a sacred principle. Indeed, the plan of God the Creator is a plan that is
essentially and always “inclusive”, centred precisely on “those living on the
existential peripheries”. A plan that can be compared to a mother, who sees her
children as different fingers of her hand: inclusive, always inclusive. […]

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09 Mar ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEETING ORGANIZED BY THE FRATERNA DOMUS OF SACROFANO

Posted at 17:27h in by

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

I thank Sister Milena Pizziolo for her words, and I greet all of you who are
participating in the training conference of the Chair of Hospitality, organized by
the sisters of the Fraterna Domus. And I would like, first of all, to congratulate
you, dear sisters, for this initiative, with which you have given your charism,
your experience and also your structures to serve those who in various ways
work in the field of hospitality: an area rich in values and spirituality, but also
traversed by the dramas of our time. I thank you for your commitment; and I
also thank the other associations, institutes, foundations and communities that
collaborate with the Chair of Hospitality.
I share with you some reflections with reference to the Encyclical Fratelli tutti
(FT).
Hospitality is one of the features that characterize what I have called “an open
world” (cf. FT, Chapter III). The Encyclical is an appeal to “envisage and
engender an open world” (cf. ibid.), and you respond to this appeal: you do so
with the work you carry out every day, without fuss, without turning on the
spotlight, and you do so also with this training meetings. Indeed, to be able to
work, to be able to engender hospitality, it is necessary also to envisage
hospitality. Here is the great value of moments like the one you are living, in
which together you explore the various aspects: anthropological, ethical,
religious, historical, and so on. But your “Chair” is not a sterile laboratory in
which abstract formulas are developed; it is a moment of reflection inseparable
from field work. While you listen and study, you remain aware of faces, stories,
real problems, and you share them with the speakers and in the working groups.
Let us return to the Encyclical. There are two passages that seem to me to be
particularly interesting to you. I will concentrate on these.
The first is found in the third chapter, under the title of “A love ever more open”.
I quote: “Love impels us towards universal communion. No one can mature or
find fulfilment by withdrawing from others. By its very nature, love calls for
growth in openness and the ability to accept others as part of a continuing
adventure that makes every periphery converge in a greater sense of mutual
belonging. As Jesus told us: ‘You are all brothers’ (Mt 23:8)” (FT, 95). Hospitality
is an expression of love, of that dynamism of openness that drives us to pay
attention to the other, to seek out the best for his or her life (cf. FT, 97-98). On
this aspect of love, the fundamental reference is Benedict XVI’s first Encyclical,
Deus caritas est (25 December 2005).
The second passage of Fratelli tutti that I propose to you is number 141. I quote
in full: “The true worth of the different countries of our world is measured by
their ability to think not simply as a country but also as part of the larger human
family. This is seen especially in times of crisis. Narrow forms of nationalism are
an extreme expression of an inability to grasp the meaning of this
gratuitousness. They err in thinking that they can develop on their own, heedless
of the ruin of others, that by closing their doors to others they will be better
protected. Immigrants are seen as usurpers who have nothing to offer. This
leads to the simplistic belief that the poor are dangerous and useless, while the
powerful are generous benefactors. Only a social and political culture that readily
and ‘gratuitously’ welcomes others will have a future”. We are in the fourth
chapter, entitled “A gratuitousness open to others”, where it talks about a
“gratuitousness that welcomes” (cf. nos. 139-141). The aspect of gratuitousness
is essential to generate fraternity and social friendship. For you, I emphasize the
final phrase: “Only a social and political culture that readily and ‘gratuitously’
welcomes others will have a future” (no. 141). Gratuitous welcome. Often. we
talk about the contribution that migrants give or can give to the society that
welcomes them. This is true and it is important. But the fundamental criterion
does not lie in the usefulness of the person, but in the value in itself that he or
she represents. The other deserves to be welcomed not so much for what he
has, or what he can give, but for what he is.
Dear brothers and sisters, I leave you with these points for reflection, and I
encourage you to continue on your path of formation, so that you can live
hospitality and promote a culture of welcoming in an ever better way. May Our
Lady accompany you. From my heart I bless you, and I ask you to please pray
for me. Thank you!

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26 Feb ANGELUS

Posted at 17:10h in by

After the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters!

This morning I learned with pain of the shipwreck that took place on the
Calabrian coast, near Crotone. Forty dead have already been recovered,
including many children. I pray for each of them, for the missing and for the
other surviving migrants. I thank those who have brought help and those who
are welcoming. May Our Lady support these brothers and sisters of ours. And
let’s not forget the tragedy of the war in Ukraine, already a year of war. And let’s
not forget the pain of the Syrian and Turkish people for the earthquake. […]

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08 Feb VIDEO MESSAGE FROM THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS FOR THE 9th WORLD DAY OF PRAYER AND REFLECTION AGAINST PEOPLE TRAFFICKING

Posted at 17:08h in by

Today we remember Santa Bakhita, the patroness of victims of human
trafficking. I join you as you celebrate the Day, the ninth World Day of Prayer
and Reflection against Trafficking in Persons whose theme isWalk for Dignity and
which involves young people as protagonists.
I address you young people in particular: I encourage you to take care of your
dignity and that of every person you meet. I learned that it was you who chose
“Walking for Dignity” as the theme. It is very important: it indicates a great
horizon for your commitment against trafficking: human dignity. In this way you
can help keep hope alive; and I also add joy, which I invite you to keep in your
hearts, together with the Word of God, because true joy is Christ!
Trafficking in persons disfigures dignity. Exploitation and subjection limit freedom
and make people objects to be used and discarded. And the trafficking system
takes advantage of injustices and inequities that force millions of people to live
in conditions of vulnerability. In fact, people impoverished by the economic
crisis, wars, climate change and so much instability are easily recruited.
Unfortunately, trafficking is growing to a worrying extent, especially affecting
migrants, women and children, young people like you, people full of dreams and
the desire to live in dignity.
We know, we are living in difficult times, but it is precisely in this reality that all
of us, especially young people, are called to join forces to weave networks of
good, to spread the light that comes from Christ and his Gospel. The light that
will symbolically be delivered in these days to the young people who have come
to Rome to represent the organizations that have been collaborating for years for
this Day of prayer and commitment against trafficking. With this gesture you are
sent as missionaries of human dignity, against human trafficking and all forms of
exploitation. Thus a special year of youth involvement is inaugurated, until the
next Day in 2024. Guard this light and you will be a blessing for other young
people. Never tire of seeking ways to transform our societies and prevent this
shameful scourge of human trafficking.
Walk for dignity, against human trafficking, leaving no one behind. I would like
to take up some beautiful expressions you wrote: “Walking witheyes open to
re-know the processes that induce millions of people, especially young people, to
be trafficked to be brutally exploited. Walk withthe attentive heart to discover
and support daily journeys for freedom and dignity. Walkwith hope on my feet to
promote anti-trafficking actions. Walkshaking hands together to support each
other and build a culture of encounter, which leads to the conversion of hearts
and to inclusive societies, capable of protecting the rights and dignity of every
person”.
I hope that many will accept your invitation to walk together against trafficking:
walk together with those who are destroyed by the violence of sexual and labor
exploitation; walking together with migrants, displaced persons, those in search
of a place to live in peace and with the family. Together with you young people,
to courageously reaffirm the value of human dignity.
I thank you and I say to you: go ahead with courage! Go forward with courage!
The Lord bless you and Our Lady keep you. Saint Bakhita pray with us and for
us. I heartily bless all of you who work against trafficking and every person you
meet on this journey for dignity. Thank you!

Archive

04 Feb MEETING WITH INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE

Posted at 17:05h in by

Dear brothers and sisters, good afternoon!

Thank you for your prayers, your testimonies and your singing! I have thought
about you for a long time, carrying in my heart the desire to meet you, to look
you in the eyes, to shake your hands and to embrace you: finally I am here,
together with the brothers with whom I share this pilgrimage of peace, to tell
you all my closeness, all my love. I am with you, I suffer for you and with you.
Joseph, you asked a decisive question: “Why are we suffering in the camp for
displaced persons?”. Why… Why are so many children and young people like you
staying there, instead of at school studying or in a nice outdoor place to play?
You yourself gave us the answer, saying that it is «because of the ongoing
conflicts in the country». It is precisely because of the devastation caused by
human violence, as well as that caused by the floods, that millions of our
brothers and sisters like you, including many mothers with children, have had to
leave their lands and abandon their villages, their homes. Unfortunately, in this
tortured country, being displaced or a refugee has become a common and
collective experience.
I therefore renew with all my strength the most heartfelt appeal to put an end to
any conflict, to take up the peace process again seriously so that the violence
will end and people can return to a dignified life. Only with peace, stability and
justice can there be development and social reintegration. Butwe can no longer
wait! An enormous number of children born in these years have known only the
reality of the camps for displaced persons, forgetting the atmosphere of home,
losing the link with their homeland, with their roots, with traditions.
The future cannot be in camps for displaced persons. There is a need, just as
you asked, Johnson, for all kids like you to have the opportunity to go to school
and also the space to play football! There is a need to grow as an open society,
mixing, forming a single people through the challenges of integration, also
learning the languages spoken throughout the country and not only in one’s own
ethnic group. There is a need to embrace the wonderful risk of knowing and
welcoming those who are different, to rediscover the beauty of a reconciled
fraternity and experience the priceless adventure of freely building one’s future
together with that of the entire community. And there is an absolute need to
avoid the marginalization of groups and the ghettoization of human beings. But
for all these needsthere is a need for peace. And we need the help of many,
everyone’s help.
So I would like to thank Deputy Special Representative Sara Beysolow Nyanti for
telling us that today is an opportunity for everyone to see what has been
happening in this country for years. Here, in fact, the largest refugee crisis on
the Continent continues, with at least four million displaced children of this land,
with food insecurity and malnutrition affecting two thirds of the population and
with forecasts that speak of a humanitarian tragedy that can worsen further
during the year. But I would like to thank you above all because you and many
others didn’t sit still and study the situation, but got busy. You, Madam, have
traveled the country, you have looked mothers in the eyes, witnessing the pain
they feel for the situation of their children; I was struck when she said that,
despite all that they suffer, the smile and hope have never faded from their
faces.
And I agree with what he said about them: mothers, women arethe key to
transforming the country: if they receive the right opportunities, through their
industriousness and their aptitude for safeguarding life, they will have the ability
to change the face of South Sudan, to give it a serene and cohesive
development! But, please, please all the inhabitants of these lands: women are
protected, respected, valued and honoured. Please: protect, respect, value and
honor every woman, child, girl, youth, adult, mother, grandmother. Without this
there will be no future.
And now, brothers and sisters, I look again at you, at your tired but luminous
eyes which have not lost hope, at your lips which have not lost the strength to
pray and to sing; I look to you who have empty hands but a heart full of faith, to
you who carry within you a past marked by pain but never stop dreaming of a
better future. In meeting you today, we would like to give wings to your hope.
We believe it, we believe that now, even in the camps for displaced persons,
where the country’s situation unfortunately forces you to stay, a new seed can
be born, as if from bare earth, which will bear fruit.
I would like to tell you: you are the seed of a new South Sudan, the seed for the
country’s fertile and luxuriant growth. It is you, of all the different ethnic groups,
you who have suffered and are suffering, but who do not want to respond to evil
with more evil. You, who are now choosing fraternity and forgiveness, are
cultivating a better tomorrow. A tomorrow that is born today, where you are,
from the ability to collaborate, to weave webs of communion and paths of
reconciliation with those who, different from you in terms of ethnicity and origin,
live next to you. Brothers and sisters, be seeds of hope, in which we can already
glimpse the tree that one day, we hope nearby, will bear fruit. Yes, you will be
the trees that will absorb the pollution of years of violence and restore the
oxygen of fraternity. It’s true, now you are “planted” where you don’t want to,
but precisely in this situation of hardship and precariousness you can reach out
to those around you and experience that you are rooted in humanity itself: from
here you have to start afresh to rediscover yourself as brothers and sisters,
children on earth of the God of heaven, Father of all.
Dear ones, to remind us that a plant comes from a seed are the roots. It’s nice
that here people care a lot about their roots. I have read that in these lands «the
roots must never be forgotten», because «the ancestors remind us who we are
and what our path should be… Without them we are lost, afraid and without a
compass. There is no future without a past» (C. Carlassare,Father Carlo’s hut.
Combonian among the Nuer, 2020, 65). In South Sudan young people grow up
treasuring the stories of the elderly and, if the narrative of recent years has been
characterized by violence, it is possible, indeed, it is necessary to inaugurate,
starting with you, a new one: a newencounter narrative, where what has been
suffered is not forgotten, but is inhabited by the light of fraternity; a narrative
that focuses not only on the tragedy of the news, but also on the burning desire
for peace. Be you, young people of different ethnicities, the front pages of this
narrative! If conflicts, violence and hatred have stripped the first pages of life of
this Republic away from good memories, you are the ones to rewrite its history
of peace! I thank you for your fortitude and for all your good deeds, which are so
pleasing to God and make each day you live precious.
I would also like to address a grateful word to those who help you, often in
conditions that are not only difficult, but emergency ones. Thanks to the
ecclesial communities for their works, which deserve to be supported; thanks to
the missionaries, humanitarian and international organizations, especially the
United Nations for the great work they do. Of course, a country cannot survive
on external support, mostly having a territory so rich in resources! But now they
are badly needed. I would also like to honor the many humanitarian workers
who have lost their lives, and urge respect for those who help and for the
population support structures, which cannot become targets for assaults and
vandalism. Alongside urgent aid, I believe it is very important, in the future, to
accompany the population on the path of development, for example by helping
them to learn up-to-date techniques for agriculture and livestock, so as to
facilitate more independent growth. I ask everyone with my heart in hand: let us
help South Sudan, let us not leave its population alone, who have suffered and
are still suffering so much!
In conclusion, I would like to address a thought to the many South Sudanese
refugees who are outside the country and to those who cannot return because
their territory has been occupied. I am close to them and I hope that they can
once again be protagonists of the future of their land, contributing to its
development in a constructive and peaceful way. Nyakuor Rebecca, you asked
me for a special blessing for the children of South Sudan, precisely so that you
can all grow together in peace. The three of us as brothers will give the blessing:
with my brother Justin and my brother Iain, together we will give you the
blessing. With it, may the blessing of so many Christian brothers and sisters in
the world reach you, who embrace and encourage you, knowing that in you, in
your faith, in your inner strength, in your dreams of peace, all the beauty of the
human being shines forth.