Pope
Francis in Bolivia: meetings with clergy, religious, popular movements
(Vatican
Radio) Pope Francis had two major public engagements on Thursday afternoon in
Santa Cruz, Bolivia: the first was a meeting with clergy, religious men and women
and people in formation for the priesthood and religious life; the second was
with a gathering of representatives of worldwide popular movements – groups of
poor, socially marginalized, dispossessed and disenfranchised people.
In
his prepared remarks to the clergy, religious, and people in formation, Pope
Francis focused on the figure of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, the story of
whose healing in the Gospel according to St Mark was read during the encounter.
“Two things about this story jump out at us and make an impression,” the Holy
Father said. “On the one hand,” he continued, “there is the cry of a beggar,
and on the other, the different reactions of the disciples.” He went on to say,
“It is as if the Evangelist wanted to show us the effect which Bartimaeus’ cry
had on people’s lives, on the lives of Jesus’ followers.” Some simply passed
Bartimaeus by, while others told him to quit complaining. Jesus, on the other
hand, responded with patience, gentleness and solicitude – and the disciples
were agents of Our Lord, who summoned the blind beggar to the Lord with words
of consolation and encouragement.
“This
is the logic of discipleship, it is what the Holy Spirit does with us and in
us,” said Pope Francis “We are witnesses of this. One day Jesus saw
us on the side of the road, wallowing in our own pain and misery. He did not
close his ear to our cries. He stopped, drew near and asked what he could do
for us. And thanks to many witnesses, who told us, ‘Take heart; get up,’
gradually we experienced this merciful love, this transforming love, which
enabled us to see the light. We are witnesses not of an ideology, of a
recipe, of a particular theology. We are witnesses to the healing and
merciful love of Jesus. We are witnesses of his working in the lives of
our communities.”
In
his second major engagement, Pope Francis focused on the power of the Gospel to
change and heal hearts, and through the works of the people whose hearts have
been thus turned and healed, to change and heal societies and indeed the planet
with the stewardship of which we are all charged.
“Working
for a just distribution of the fruits of the earth and human labor is not mere
philanthropy. It is a moral obligation,” said Pope Francis in his
prepared remarks. “For Christians, the responsibility is even greater: it is a
commandment. It is about giving to the poor and to peoples what is theirs
by right. The universal destination of goods is not a figure of speech
found in the Church’s social teaching. It is a reality prior to private
property. Property, especially when it affects natural resources, must
always serve the needs of peoples. And those needs are not restricted to
consumption. It is not enough to let a few drops fall whenever the poor
shake a cup which never runs over by itself.
Nevertheless,
social programmes are not enough, nor are they on their own capable of ensuring
a truly just and humane order of life in society. “Welfare programs geared to
certain emergencies can only be considered temporary responses,” Pope Francis
said. “They will never be able to replace true inclusion,” which provides
dignified, free, creative, participatory work that is genuinely in service to
the authentic common good.
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