Pope Francis: video message to Ezeiza student-inmates
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| Pope Francis delivers his message during his weekly general audience, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. - AP |
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday
sent a video message to the student-inmates of the Centro
de estudiantes universitarios de Ezeiza, a higher education initiative
attached to the Ezeiza prison complex.
The university centre, which began in 1994 in connection
with a project of the University of Buenos Aires, teaches primarily
sociology and applied sciences, including computer science and information
technology.
Pope Francis has made regular phone
calls to the inmates who study in the centre, which is beginning a
new music programme.
Remarks to student-inmates
In his message, Pope Francis says, “The
inmates are serving a penal sentence – a sentence for errors they have
committed. Let us not forget, however, that, for punishment to be fruitful, it
must have a horizon of hope, otherwise it remains locked in itself and is only
an instrument of torture, it is not fruitful.”
The Holy Father goes on to say that what is needed is
specifically the hope for social reintegration, for which social formation is a
necessary ingredient.
“That,” he says, addressing himself directly to the
student-inmates, “is what you are doing,” i.e. looking to the future with hope.
“With this new music course you are looking toward social
reintegration, [and] you are already reintegrating yourselves through your
studies with the University of Buenos Aires.”
Punishment with a horizon of hope
“This,” he continues, “is a punishment with hope, a
punishment with a horizon. Let me say once again: problems are there and will
be there, but the horizon is bigger than the problems. Hope goes beyond all
problems.”
The Holy Father also thanked the founders, directors,
faculty and staff of the Ezeiza university centre, and asked the students to
remember him in their prayers.
Below, the full video in the original Spanish
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