Pope Francis: Transforming
society positively gives voice to the voiceless
 |
| Pope Francis greets refugees in Rome. |
Pope Francis sends a message to the 8th World Social Forum
on Migrants taking place from 2-4 November in Mexico City, encouraging a
“positive transformation” of society by rejecting injustice and creating
solutions.
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp
Pope Francis sent a message to the 8th World
Social Forum on Migrants. The Forum is taking place in Mexico City from
2-4 November. “Migrate, Resist, Build and Transform” is the
theme of the Forum. The Pope took the opportunity to encourage the “positive
transformation” of society so as to give a voice to the voiceless.
Migrate, Resist, Build, Transform
Pope Francis begins his message by referring to the Forum’s
theme, which he compares to the words of the Prophet Jeremiah. God sends
Jeremiah “to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and
to plant” (1:10). Today, the Pope continues, “there are evils to be eradicated,
injustices to be obliterated, privileges to be overthrown, dignities to be
reconstructed, and values to be planted”.
Positive transformation of society
The Pope proposes that the “positive transformation” of
society is based on the rejection of injustice. Opposition to the “throwaway
culture”, which the Pope called a “pandemic” disease, is the “first act of
justice”. It gives a voice to the voiceless, he continues. Among these
voiceless are migrants and refugees, those whom society ignores, exploits,
rapes and abuses through “the guilty silence of many”.
Solutions
In addition to denouncing injustice, identifying “concrete
and viable solutions” is necessary, Pope Francis wrote in the message. That
means building “inclusive and fair societies, capable of restoring dignity to
those living in great uncertainty who cannot dream of a better world”.
“I would like to take this opportunity,” the Pope continues,
“to encourage civil organizations and popular movements to collaborate in the
mass dissemination” of the Global Compact for Refugees and Migrants and the
Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. He also encourages such
organizations and movements to “promote a more equitable sharing of
responsibilities” in providing assistance to those seeking asylum and to
refugees. Likewise, Pope Francis says, they need to provide decisive action so
as to “identify victims of human trafficking promptly”, as well as “doing
everything possible to liberate and rehabilitate them”.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Invoking the intercession of “the intercession of the Virgin
Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe”, Pope Francis asks “that she might care for and
sustain with her material support” those activities that favour “migrants,
refugees, and displaced persons”.
“God bless your work in the coming days”, the message
concludes.
About the World Social Forum on Migrants
The World Social Forum on Migrants seeks to address seven
topics directly related to migration: human rights, borders, policies,
capitalism, gender, climate change and transnational dynamics. In so doing, the
Forum wants to build a society more favourable to the protection of migrants
and their families, as well as their rights. To this end, the Forum also
includes migrants themselves in discussions regarding their needs,
expectations, and solutions.
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