Pope Francis addressed the faithful of the Diocese of Rome during a meeting titled “Beyond inequalities, uniting tears” in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
Vatican News
In the presence of civil and ecclesiastical officials of the Diocese of Rome, Pope Francis on Friday evening invited the community to come together to heal the cracks in the fabric of Roman society.
The meeting began with an invocation of the Holy Spirit, followed by an introduction by Cardinal Baldassare Riina, Vicar appointed by the Pope for the Diocese of Rome. The motto “Make us one” resonated throughout the cathedral, symbolizing the culmination of a long journey that had begun on the outskirts of the city and the beginning of a new stage, destined to “make the Church overcome inertia and enter into city”. “There are many divisions within society to heal.”
Religious officials, political and civil society leaders.
The event was attended by prominent political figures, including the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, prefects and police commissioners, as well as Andrea Riccardi, from the community of Sant'Egidio, and the sociologist Giuseppe Di Rita, who 50 years ago spoke at a conference on the “evils of Rome.” “. He had participated.
The presence of Christian Unity representatives sitting in the front row indicated shared aspirations for justice and brotherhood in the Church. Among the guests were Monsignor Khazag Barsamian of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Ian Ernest, director of the Anglican Center of Rome, as well as leaders of the Orthodox Church, including Metropolitan Polykarpos, Father Militaru of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese in Italy, and Simon Katsinas of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Poverty, an ecclesial need
Pope Francis placed the issue of poverty at the center of his message, reminding the faithful that “the poor are the body of Christ” and that Jesus does not offer “magic solutions.” The essential thing, the Pope said, is to transmit the message of the Gospel. He stressed that “the poor cannot be reduced to numbers, problems or, worse still, something to be discarded.” Grateful for the often hidden work of those who serve the most vulnerable, Pope Francis reminded those gathered:
We must become aware of the issue of poverty as an urgent matter of the Church, which always becomes the commitment and responsibility of everyone. […] Let us be with the poor and be a symbol of God's tenderness for them!
dare to be generous
The Pope urged the faithful not to remain passive in the face of Rome's numerous contradictions. He encouraged the faithful to overcome the “virus of indifference” by establishing a constant dialogue with institutions and associations, maintaining courage in charity and with “the patience of dialogue, without prejudice.”
The Pope said it would be good if the meeting produced some concrete commitments, focused on joint efforts to help us eliminate inequalities. But in your ordinary pastoral care and catechesis, give greater importance to the social teachings of the Church. It is necessary to incorporate discernment into the social doctrine of the Church so that the gospel can be translated into the various situations of today and allow us to bear witness to justice, peace and fraternity.
Give life to concrete actions of hope.
On the occasion of the upcoming jubilee, the Pope urged the faithful not to give up. He remembered people like Don Luigi di Ligro, who sowed the first seeds of active volunteerism in Rome, as well as many lay people who followed in his footsteps.
“We just have to believe in it,” said Pope Francis, quoting the poet Péguy, who described Hope as a girl: “This girl, nothing. She alone, carrying others. Who will cross the world.”
“I make a strong appeal to all of you to carry out concrete actions of hope,” the Pope said.
