Colombia: Director of Cáritas asks to move from welfare to solidarity that dignifies people

As a Church and society we face the challenge of moving from welfare to a solidarity that dignifies people, expressed the new director of Cáritas Colombiana, Father Mauricio Alejandro Rey Sepúlveda.

Father Rey Sepúlveda, recently elected director of the National Secretariat of Social Pastoral – Cáritas Colombiana, stated in an article published in the website of the Episcopate that “social, economic and cultural inequalities are increasingly evident.”

Given this reality, he explained that “the act of giving is a valued and necessary gesture to alleviate immediate suffering. However, many times this act remains on the surface, reducing the recipient to a position of dependence and the donor to the role of a passing benefactor.”

In that sense, he stated that the current challenge “that we face as a Church and as a society” is “to move from welfare giving to a solidarity that builds bridges, dignifies people and transforms the structures that perpetuate exclusion.”

In his article, the director of Cáritas Colombiana explained that although giving immediately relieves pain, it does not go to the root of the problem. On the other hand, “solidarizing implies a commitment that goes beyond momentary action, as it seeks to understand, accompany and transform the conditions that generate injustice.”

“Therefore, solidarity is not just an act, but a lifestyle that implies justice, empathy and constant commitment,” he indicated.

Likewise, he recalled that “the Social Doctrine of the Church presents solidarity as a fundamental principle that connects the Gospel with social action” and that teaches that “we do not live in isolation, but rather we are deeply interconnected as members of the same human family.”

In that sense, he expressed that being supportive “is not optional, it is an evangelical mandate that invites us to build a more just and humane world.”

Proposals to put into practice

In his article, the priest invited Catholics to carry out some concrete actions to make the transition “from ‘giving’ to ‘solidarizing’.”

Among these, he proposed, for example, “changing the dynamics of social pastoral care so that they are not limited to providing help, but rather promote encounters, formation and community organization.”

Likewise, disseminate “stories of people or communities that, through solidarity, have overcome situations of exclusion or poverty. These examples inspire and show that change is possible.”

“The step from giving to solidarity is not only a change of action, but of mentality. It requires a personal and community conversion that leads us to see others as equals and commit ourselves to building a more fraternal world,” he stated.