Archive

30 Nov GREETING TO YOUNG REFUGEES ASSISTED BY THE SALESIANS ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER

Posted at 00:15h in by

I have greatly desired to meet with you, youth from Turkey, Syria, Iraq and other countries of the Middle East and Africa. I would have liked to have met more refugees but this has not been possible. You represent hundreds of your peers, many of whom are exiles and refugees who are helped every day by the Salesians. I wish to assure you that I share your sufferings; I hope my visit, by the grace of God, may offer you some consolation in your difficult situation. Yours is the sad consequence of brutal conflicts and war, which are always evils and which never solve problems. Rather, they only create new ones.

Refugees, such as yourselves, often find themselves deprived, sometimes for long periods, of basic needs such as a dignified home, healthcare, education and work. They have had to abandon not only their material possessions, but above all their freedom, closeness to family, their homeland and cultural traditions. The degrading conditions in which so many refugees are forced to live are intolerable! For this reason, we must do everything possible to eradicate the causes of this situation. I appeal for greater international cooperation to resolve the conflicts which are causing bloodshed in your homelands, to counter the other causes which are driving people to leave their home countries, and to improve conditions so that people may remain or return home. I encourage all who are working generously and steadfastly for justice and peace not to lose heart. I ask political leaders to always remember that the great majority of their people long for peace, even if at times they lack the strength and voice to demand it.

Many organizations are doing a great deal for refugees. I am especially pleased by the good work of so many Catholic groups which offer generous aid to many in need without discriminating. I wish also to express deep gratitude to the Turkish authorities for the great efforts they have made in assisting the displaced, in particular Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and for the authorities’ tangible commitment in trying to meet their needs. I hope that the necessary support of the international community may not be lacking.[…]

Archive

29 Nov ADDRESS OF POPE FRANCIS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Posted at 00:00h in by

[…] Likewise, there needs to be a united response to the question of migration. We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery! The boats landing daily on the shores of Europe are filled with men and women who need acceptance and assistance. The absence of mutual support within the European Union runs the risk of encouraging particularistic solutions to the problem, solutions which fail to take into account the human dignity of immigrants, and thus contribute to slave labour and continuing social tensions. Europe will be able to confront the problems associated with immigration only if it is capable of clearly asserting its own cultural identity and enacting adequate legislation to protect the rights of European citizens and to ensure the acceptance of immigrants. Only if it is capable of adopting fair, courageous and realistic policies which can assist the countries of origin in their own social and political development and in their efforts to resolve internal conflicts – the principal cause of this phenomenon – rather than adopting policies motivated by self-interest, which increase and feed such conflicts. We need to take action against the causes and not only the effects. […]

Archive

28 Nov VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE DIYANET AT THE DEPARTMENT FOR RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER

Posted at 00:10h in by

[…] Especially tragic is the situation in the Middle East, above all in Iraq and Syria. Everyone suffers the consequences of these conflicts, and the humanitarian situation is unbearable. I think of so many children, the sufferings of so many mothers, of the elderly, of those displaced and of all refugees, subject to every form of violence. Particular concern arises from the fact that, owing mainly to an extremist and fundamentalist group, entire communities, especially – though not exclusively – Christians and Yazidis, have suffered and continue to suffer barbaric violence simply because of their ethnic and religious identity. They have been forcibly evicted from their homes, having to leave behind everything to save their lives and preserve their faith. This violence has also brought damage to sacred buildings, monuments, religious symbols and cultural patrimony, as if trying to erase every trace, every memory of the other. […]

Archive

28 Nov MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER AND CIVIL AUTHORITIES ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER

Posted at 00:06h in by

[…] Turkey, which has generously welcomed a great number of refugees, is directly affected by this tragic situation on its borders; the international community has the moral obligation to assist Turkey in taking care of these refugees. In addition to providing much needed assistance and humanitarian aid, we cannot remain indifferent to the causes of these tragedies. In reaffirming that it is licit, while always respecting international law, to stop an unjust aggressor, I wish to reiterate, moreover, that the problem cannot be resolved solely through a military response.[…]

Archive

27 Nov ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO PARTICIPANTS AT THE INTERNATIONAL PASTORAL CONGRESS ON THE WORLD’S BIG CITIES

Posted at 00:03h in by

[…] God continues to speak to us today, as He has always done, through the poor, through those “leftovers”. In general today, big cities are inhabited by numerous migrants, who come from rural areas or from other continents, with other cultures. Even Rome…. The Vicar of Rome could perhaps confirm? So many homeless people everywhere…. They are pilgrims of life, in search of “salvation”, who often have the strength to go forward and fight thanks to the ultimate sense they receive from a simple and profound experience of faith in God. The challenge is twofold: to be hospitable toward the poor and the migrants — in general, cities aren’t, they reject! — and to value their faith. It is quite probable that this faith may be mixed with elements of immanentist and magical thinking, but we must look for it, recognize it, interpret it and certainly also evangelize to it. I have no doubt that in the faith of these men and women there is an enormous potential for evangelization of the urban areas. […]

Archive

25 Nov ADDRESS OF POPE FRANCIS TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

Posted at 23:57h in by

[…] Yet peace is put to the test by other forms of conflict, such as religious and international terrorism, which displays deep disdain for human life and indiscriminately reaps innocent victims. This phenomenon is unfortunately bankrolled by a frequently unchecked traffic in weapons. The Church is convinced that “the arms race is one of the greatest curses on the human race and the harm it inflicts on the poor is more than can be endured”.[5] Peace is also violated by trafficking in human beings, the new slavery of our age, which turns persons into merchandise for trade and deprives its victims of all dignity. Not infrequently we see how interconnected these phenomena are. The Council of Europe, through its Committees and Expert Groups, has an important and significant role to play in combating these forms of inhumanity. […]

[…] Similarly, the contemporary world offers a number of other challenges requiring careful study and a common commitment, beginning with the welcoming of migrants, who immediately require the essentials of subsistence, but more importantly a recognition of their dignity as persons. Then too, there is the grave problem of labour, chiefly because of the high rate of young adults unemployed in many countries – a veritable mortgage on the future – but also for the issue of the dignity of work. […]

Archive

21 Nov APOSTOLIC LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO ALL CONSECRATED PEOPLE ON THE OCCASION OF THE YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE

Posted at 23:54h in by

[…] I ask you to work concretely in welcoming refugees, drawing near to the poor, and finding creative ways to catechize, to proclaim the Gospel and to teach others how to pray. Consequently, I would hope that structures can be streamlined, large religious houses repurposed for works which better respond to the present demands of evangelization and charity, and apostolates adjusted to new needs.[…]

Archive

16 Nov POPE FRANCIS: ANGELUS

Posted at 23:52h in by

After the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters, these days in Rome there have been rather strong tensions between residents and immigrants. These are facts which are occurring in various European cities, especially in neighbouring suburbs marked by other difficulties. I ask the Institutions at all levels to address as a priority what now constitutes a social emergency and which, if not appropriately addressed as quickly as possible, risks degenerating ever further. May the Christian community be committed in a practical way to prevent conflict and bring about encounter. Citizens and immigrants, with representatives of institutions, can meet one another, even in a parish hall, and speak together about the situation. The important thing is not to give in to the temptation of conflict, but to reject all violence. It is possible to dialogue, to listen, to plan together, and in this manner to overcome suspicion and prejudice and to build an ever more secure, peaceful and inclusive coexistence.[…]

Archive

14 Nov ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE WORLD CONGRESS OF ACCOUNTANTS

Posted at 23:50h in by

[…] Employment is a pressing issue in the current socioeconomic context. The issue of employment is the key point. From your professional observation you are well aware of the grim reality of so many people who have precarious employment, or who have lost their job; of so many families who are paying the consequences; of so many young people seeking first-time employment and dignified work. There are numerous people, especially immigrants, who, compelled to work “under the table”, lack the most basic juridical and economic guarantees. […]

Archive

06 Nov LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE G20 SUMMIT

Posted at 23:47h in by

[…] These conflicts leave deep scars and result in unbearable humanitarian situations around the world. I take this opportunity to ask the G20 Member States to be examples of generosity and solidarity in meeting the many needs of the victims of these conflicts, and especially of refugees[…].