Paraguay:
the humble Pope to visit the humble people of Banado Norte
(Vatican
Radio) On Sunday the last day of his Apostolic journey to Latin America Pope
Francis is set to visit Banado Norte, an area of Paraguay's capital Asunciòn,
where the poorest of the poor live. Linda Bordoni went round to take a
closer look at the dire conditions people live in there.
When
I went to Banado Norte a couple of days before the Pope’s Sunday visit to the
Asuncion slum, the thick red mud of the narrow streets stuck to my shoes and I
was careful not to slip whilst crossing the threshold into a tiny shack made of
wood and corrugated iron.
Mud
was everywhere, including all over the field in front of the stage where the
entire Banado Norte community will gather to greet the Pope.
And
it wasn’t raining.
Since
then it has been raining quite hard and I can only imagine the mud has turned
to liquid slush blocking the rudimental drains and making life even more
difficult for the poorest of the poor in the city of Asuncion.
But
that’s nothing new, in fact, the reason the area is called “Banado” - which
literally means “wet” - is because the nearby Paraguay River regularly bursts
its banks when it rains flooding the slum which is home to some 15,000
families.
Of
course Pope Francis is due to greet the whole Banado Norte community on Sunday,
but he will also make a stop at the house of a long-time Banado Norte resident
and her niece for a chat, some “chipa” and a sip of mate.
He
will have to stoop to enter that tiny door, but that’s something he doesn’t
mind at all. Or rather, it’s something he does all the time, inviting us
all to kneel with him before the poor if we want to find the face of
Jesus and be open to His teaching.
And
he will do so in that wonderful way he has of making all people feel they
matter because they are children of God.
Yes,
Pope Francis will be telling the people in Banado Norte: “you are never
forgotten, as far as I am concerned you are here and you are In my prayers”.
And
I am sure he won’t mind if he leaves Banado Norte with red mud on his white
robes, although he certainly needs no reminders to always remember the vast
majority of poor people in Paraguay and in the world.
In
Asuncion with Pope Francis, I’m Linda Bordoni
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