Pope Francis said that the poor are not a number or a problem, but “our brother”, before the assembly of the Diocese of Rome, of which he is bishop, gathered in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
There, he points out Vatican Newsthe itinerary “Repairing the gap beyond inequalities” was closed, in which the journalist Marco Damilano, a lawyer and a young student from the outskirts of the city who also serve those in need, participated.
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The event commemorated the 50th anniversary of the conference on “The Responsibility of Christians to the Expectations of Charity and Justice in the City of Rome”, better known as “The Evils of Rome”, which took place in February 1974.
Pope Francis’ speech
Reflecting on poverty in Rome, Pope Francis asked: “What can we do together? There is so much hypocrisy. Bring the good news to the poor: the poor will always be with us, they are the flesh of Christ. They make it visible to our eyes. “Jesus does not offer us magical solutions, but he asks us to bring the good news to the poor, to tell them that they are loved by the Lord and that they are precious in the eyes of God.”
“But sometimes we say it with words, without making gestures that make it credible. The poor person is not a number, a problem or a rejected person. He is our brother. The question of poverty is an ecclesiastical urgency. Priests who work with the poor are not communists. The Church is called to adopt a style that puts the poor and needy at the center. Let us be a sign of the tenderness of God.”
The Holy Father then encouraged dialogue and overcoming indifference, to then “empower the social thinking of the Church, in catechesis and pastoral care. Form consciences with the social doctrine of the Church.”
“We must sow hope, also with a view to the approaching Jubilee (in 2025). I ask for concrete works of hope. Christian hope is always active, animated by the certainty that it is the Lord who guides history. “Hope never disappoints,” the Pope encouraged.
Archpriest warns of “four serious forms of poverty”
The work was inaugurated by the new Vicar of Rome, Archbishop Baldassare Reina, who will be created cardinal on December 7, and who has also been named today Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
In his words, Bishop Reina described “four serious forms of poverty that penalize many of the people who live in Rome. Educational poverty that affects children and young people; health poverty. Despite the public health system, many do not have access to medical care.”
“The third form of poverty that we have addressed is housing. Anyone thinking about renting a house in Rome must have large sums of money. The last form of poverty is that of work. The work is apparently there, but it is not always well paid and with all the rights that guarantee the worker a fair salary with which to think about his family and his future,” highlighted the future cardinal.
“The Church is an integral part of the city and the city, this city, is the place where we are called to proclaim the Kingdom. “We want to bring together each and every one of these problems with their own responsibility,” he added.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in ACI Press
Marco Mancini