MEETING OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS WITH THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONFERENCE OF THE DIOCESE OF ROME
Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano
Pope Francis:
The second trait needed – the first is humility: to listen, you must lower yourself –
the second trait needed to hear the cry is disinterest. It is expressed in the Gospel
passage of the parable of the shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep. He has
no personal interest to defend, this good shepherd: the only concern is that nobody
gets lost. We have personal interests, who are we this evening? Everyone can think
of us: what is my hidden, personal interest that I have in my ecclesial activity?
Vanity? I don’t know … everyone has their own. Are we concerned about our parish
structures ?, about the future of our institute ?, about the social consensus ?, about
what people will say if we take care of the poor, migrants, Roma? Or are we attached
to that little bit of power that we still exercise over the people of our community or
our neighborhood? We have all seen parishes that have made serious choices, under
the inspiration of the Spirit, and many faithful who went there have moved away
because “ah, this parish priest is too demanding, even a little communist”, and people
it goes.
Today I met five hundred Roma at the Vatican and I heard painful things. Xenophobia.
Be careful, because the world cultural phenomenon, let’s say at least European, of
populism grows sowing fear. But in the city there is also so much good, because there
are positive places, fruitful places: there where the citizens meet and dialogue in a
solidarity and constructive way, here we create «a connective tissue where people
and groups share different ways of dreaming life, similar imaginaries, and new human
sectors are formed, invisible cultural territories “(ibid.).
