EDUCAR CON FRATERNIDAD - EDUCATION ET FRATERNITE' - EDUCATION AND FRATERNITY

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"Educar con fraternidad". Intención de oración del Papa en enero

 

En el primer Video del Papa del 2023, Francisco —como ha reiterado varias veces en su pontificado— pone el acento en la importancia de los educadores. El Santo Padre pide añadir un contenido nuevo a la enseñanza: la fraternidad, un ingrediente clave en la búsqueda de un mundo cercano a los más vulnerables.

El Video del Papa acaba de comenzar su octavo año consecutivo publicando la intención de oración que el Santo Padre confía a toda la Iglesia Católica a través de la Red Mundial de Oración del Papa. Para inaugurar el 2023, Francisco ha elegido lanzar un mensaje a los educadores con una propuesta singular: “añadir un nuevo contenido en la enseñanza: la fraternidad”.

“Quiero proponer a los educadores que añadan un nuevo contenido en la enseñanza: la fraternidad. La educación es un acto de amor que ilumina el camino para que recuperemos el sentido de la fraternidad, para que no ignoremos a los más vulnerables. El educador es un testigo que no entrega sus conocimientos mentales, sino sus convicciones, su compromiso con la vida. Uno que sabe manejar bien los tres lenguajes: el de la cabeza, el del corazón y el de las manos, armonizados. Y de ahí la alegría de comunicar. Y ellos serán escuchados mucho más atentamente y serán creadores de comunidad. ¿Por qué? Porque están sembrando este testimonio. Oremos para que los educadores sean testigos creíbles, enseñando la fraternidad en lugar de la confrontación y ayudando especialmente a los jóvenes más vulnerables.”

Cabeza, corazón y manos: testigos de fraternidad

En este Video del Papa, Francisco quiere ampliar el alcance de la actividad educadora, para que no esté centrada solo en el contenido. Para el Papa, el educador es un testigo de fraternidad que no entrega “sus conocimientos mentales, sino sus convicciones, su compromiso con la vida”. De este modo, los educadores podrán ser “escuchados mucho más atentamente y serán creadores de comunidad”. “Educar —había dicho también el Santo Padre el año pasado en conversación con una delegación del ‘Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education Project’— es arriesgar en la tensión entre la cabeza, el corazón y las manos: en armonía, hasta el punto de pensar lo que siento y hago; de sentir lo que pienso y hago; de hacer lo que siento y pienso. Es una armonía”.

Una escuela, un campo de fútbol, un profesor

El video de enero del Papa -que comienza con la palabra fraternidad, escrita en una pizarra como si fuera una asignatura didáctica- acompaña la reflexión de Francisco con la narración de una historia, ambientada en una escuela. Un niño, marginado por sus compañeros durante los partidos de fútbol, permanece solo en un rincón hasta que un profesor, al darse cuenta de su malestar, decide ocuparse de él. No lo hace con palabras, sino con su testimonio de vida: se queda con él, día tras día, y con pasión y perseverancia le enseña a jugar. Hasta que, una mañana, lo encuentra junto a esos mismos compañeros que antes lo habían marginado: está jugando con ellos y, cuando marca su primer gol, se lo dedica precisamente al maestro, al testigo creíble que lo ha ayudado.

No olvidar a los más vulnerables

El P. Frédéric Fornos S.J., Director Internacional de la Red Mundial de Oración del Papa, comentó acerca de esta primera intención de oración del 2023: “Una vez más, frente a los desafíos del mundo, el Papa Francisco vuelve a insistir sobre la fraternidad. Es la brújula de su encíclica Fratelli Tutti. Es el único camino para la humanidad, por eso la educación es esencial. El Papa confía en educadores ‘que sean testigos creíbles’, que puedan enseñar la fraternidad en lugar de la confrontación. Cuando miramos a Jesús aprendemos que solo se comunica y transmite a los demás lo que uno vive. Esto pide coherencia de vida entre lo que uno dice y lo que hace. Es una gracia, por eso nos invita a rezar para recibirla”.

VIDEO

 

En janvier, François invite à prier pour les éducateurs

Dans sa première Vidéo du Pape de 2023, le Pape François souligne l’importance des éducateurs. Le Saint-Père demande d’ajouter un nouveau contenu à l'enseignement : la fraternité, un ingrédient clé dans la recherche d’un monde proche des plus vulnérables. Le Pape demande que les éducateurs soient des témoins crédibles, qui voient dans la fraternité le meilleur moyen d’aider les plus démunis.

 

Voici le texte intégral de l'appel du Pape François:

Je voudrais proposer aux éducateurs d’ajouter un nouveau contenu à leur enseignement : la fraternité.

L’éducation est un acte d’amour qui éclaire le chemin afin que nous retrouvions le sens de la fraternité et que les plus vulnérables ne soient pas ignorés.

L’éducateur est un témoin qui ne transmet pas ses connaissances mentales, mais ses convictions et son engagement dans la vie.

C’est celui qui sait bien manier les trois langues : la langue de la tête, du cœur et des mains, en harmonie. Et donc la joie de communiquer.

C’est ce genre d’éducateur qui sera écouté avec beaucoup plus d’attention et qui sera en mesure de créer une communauté. Pourquoi ? Parce qu’il sème ce témoignage.

Prions pour que les éducateurs soient des témoins crédibles, en enseignant la fraternité plutôt que la compétition, et en aidant tout particulièrement les jeunes les plus vulnérables.

Pope Francis' January prayer intention: For educators

Pope Francis invites the faithful to pray “that educators may be credible witnesses, teaching fraternity rather than confrontation and helping especially the youngest and most vulnerable above all.”

By Christopher Wells

In his prayer intention for January, Pope Francis invites educators to add “fraternity” to the content of their teaching, noting that “educators are witness who impart not only their mental knowledge, but also their convictions, their commitment to life.”

He added that education itself is an “act of love” that can show us the way “to recover a sense of fraternity, so we will not ignore those who are most vulnerable.”

Pope Francis called on the faithful to pray “that educators may be credible witnesses, teaching fraternity rather than confrontation, and helping especially the youngest and most vulnerable above all.”

Broadening the reach of education

In a press release accompanying the Pope’s first prayer intention for 2023, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer network explains that the Holy Father “wants to broaden the reach of education, so it will not be centred only on content.” As authentic witnesses, the Pope expresses his hope that educators will be able “to be heeded more attentively and will be builders of community.”

Jesuit Father Frédéric Fornos, the Director of the Prayer Network, says that fraternity “is the only path for humanity, and this is why education is essential.”

Emphasizing the importance of coherence between what is taught and the lives of those who teach, Fr Fornos points to Jesus, from whom we learn “that we can only communicate and transmit to others what we ourselves live.” This, he said, “requires coherence in our lives between what we say and what we do.”

VIDEO

ERADICATE HUNGER WITH SPIRIT OF FRATERNITY

 POPE FRANCIS  MESSAGE

UN - FOOD AND WATER 

MEETING – FAO

 In a message to the World Food Forum taking place in Rome, Pope Francis reminds participants that in a world impacted by interconnected crises, the centrality of the human person must never be forgotten.

-By Linda Bordoni

 

At the heart of Pope Francis’ message to participants in the 2nd edition of the World Food Forum (WFF) was the call “not simply to feed the other, but to give ourselves in service to others” in a spirit of “fraternity and solidarity that must inspire relations between individuals and between peoples.”

The Forum at the UN Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) takes place from 17 to 21 October 2022 with a focus on “Youth Action”, “Science & Innovation”, and “Investment".

The Forum comes in a year of unprecedented hunger. UN statistics show that conflict, COVID, the climate crisis, and rising costs have combined to create jeopardy for up to 828 million hungry people across the world.

In this world of interconnected crises, the Pope said in his message to participants of the WFF’s opening ceremony, the message of Christ challenges us to make decisions and promote initiatives for the good and the future of all humanity.

The sacredness of bread

Extending his greeting to all those who commit themselves and strive every day to eradicate hunger and poverty in the world, Pope Francis said “food is fundamental to human life, in fact, it shares in its sacredness and cannot be treated like any other commodity.”

“Food is a concrete sign of the Creator's goodness and of the fruits of the earth.”

He recalled the respect our grandparents had for bread: “they kissed it when they brought it to the table and did not allow anything to go to waste.

“Christ himself, in the Eucharist, became bread, living bread for the life of the world.”

The Pope said that in order to respect food and give it the pre-eminent place it has in human life, “in addition to concern for its production, availability, and access,” we must be aware that it is “a gift of God of which we are mere stewards.”

The centrality of the human person

Our first concern, he explained, must “focus on the human being as such, considered in his or her integrity and taking into account his or her real needs, in particular those who lack the basic sustenance for survival.”

 In this period of interconnected crises, he continued, Christ’s message, even for non-believers, “challenges us not simply to feed but to give ourselves in service to others, recognizing and guaranteeing the centrality of the human person.”

“This priority can only be safeguarded if we once again believe in the fraternity and solidarity that must inspire relations between individuals and between peoples.”

The Pope concluded his message by saying he entrusts to God the fruits of this meeting, “so that the initiatives and decisions that contribute to the good and the future of all humanity may increase.”

 Vatican News

 POPE FRANCIS MESSAGE

 

 

INTEGRAL EDUCATION

 Pope: Religions reaffirm mission 

of integral education

Speaking at a meeting on “Religions and Education,” Pope Francis repeated the commitment of the various religious traditions of educating the “head, hands, heart, and soul” of each individual.

 

-By Christopher Wells

 

Pope Francis joined other leaders of world religions on Tuesday for a meeting on “Religions and Education: Towards a Global Compact on Education.” According to a press release from the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education, participants engaged “in a fraternal dialogue on the major challenges for education today.”

Shaping the future

In his address at the meeting, Pope Francis recalled his appeal, in 2019, to all those engaged in education to dialogue on “how we are shaping the future of our planet,” noting that change requires “an educational process aimed at developing a new universal solidarity and a more welcoming society.”

This, he said, is the reason for his call for a “broad educational alliance” to restore relationships in order to build a more fraternal humanity.

“If we desire a more fraternal world,” he said, “we need to educate young people ‘to acknowledge, appreciate, and love each person,” regardless of our differences. He explained that education must be established not only on the “fundamental principle ‘Know yourself,” but also on other “essential principles”: knowing one’s brothers and sisters; knowing creation; and knowing the transcendent “in order to educate in the great mystery of life.”

The Pope added, “We cannot fail to speak to young people about the truths that give meaning to life.”

Religions and education

Emphasizing the close relationship between religions and education, Pope Francis said that, “as in the past, so also in our day, with the wisdom and humanity of our religious traditions, we want to be a stimulus for a renewed educational activity that can advance universal fraternity in our world.”

The Pope acknowledged harmful practices that, at times, may have disfigured religious education, including conflict between different religions; discrimination against minorities; disrespect for the rights of women, children and the most vulnerable; and tolerance of exploitation of creation.

In contrast, he said we are now committed to peaceful coexistence; defense of the dignity of all, and of the rights of all; and love and care for all of creation.

Reaffirming the mission

Today, Pope Francis said, “we want to state that our religious traditions, which have always played a leading role in schooling, from teaching literacy to higher education, reaffirm their mission of integrally educating each individual: head, hands, heart and soul."

He explained, “Let one think what one feels and does; let one feel what one thinks and does; let one do what one feels and thinks: the harmony of human integrity, that is, all its beauty of this harmony.”

The Holy Father concluded his address by inviting participants to pray silently, “asking God to enlighten our minds so that our dialogue will bear fruit and help us courageously to pursue the paths of new educational horizons.”

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

 

: CHRISTIANS AND MUSILMS: WITNESS OF HOPE

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue releases a message addressed to "all Muslim brothers and sisters" 

to show solidarity and friendship as they start their month of Ramadan and look ahead to ‘Id al-Fitr.

 

By Vatican News staff writer

Adressing "all Muslim brothers and sisters", the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue's Message for the month of Ramadam and ‘Id al-Fitr begins by passing on "fraternal good wishes for a month rich in divine blessings and spiritual advancement". The Message notes that "fasting, along with prayer, almsgiving and other pious practices, brings us closer to God our Creator and to all those with whom we live and work, and helps us to continue walking together on the path of fraternity".

Comforting gestures

Noting that over the last few months "of suffering, anguish and sorrow", especially during the lockdown periods, "we sensed our need for divine assistance, but also for expressions and gestures of fraternal solidarity". There are so many small gestures, continues the Message: a telephone call, a message of support and comfort, a prayer, help in buying medicines or food, advice to simply "show the security of knowing that someone is always there for us in times of necessity".

This need for divine assistance that we need and seek "is manifold", continues the Message: God’s mercy, pardon, providence and other spiritual and material gifts. "Yet, what we need most in these times, is hope". 

Hope 

The Message then turns its attention to the importance of "hope". "As we are aware", it reads, "while certainly including optimism", hope goes beyond it. The Message explains that "while optimism is a human attitude, hope has its basis in something religious: God loves us, and therefore cares for us through his providence". 

"Hope arises from our belief that all our problems and trials have a meaning, a value and a purpose, however difficult or impossible it may be for us to understand the reason for them or to find a way out of them.

"Hope also carries with it belief in the goodness present in the heart of every person. Many times, in situations of difficulty and despair, help, and the hope it brings, can come from those whom we least expect".

Fraternity, a source of hope 

The Message then notes that "human fraternity, in its numerous manifestations, thus becomes a source of hope for all, especially for those in any kind of need.

It continues with a word of gratitude. "Thank you to all those who so prompty reacted by showing the utmost signs of solidairty in times of crises. All these persons and their goodness remind us believers that the spirit of fraternity is universal, and that it transcends all boundaries: ethnic, religious, social and economic", reads the Message. "In adopting this spirit, we imitate God, who looks benevolently upon the humanity he created, upon all other creatures and upon the entire universe. This is why the growing care and concern for the planet, our 'common home', is, according to Pope Francis, yet another sign of hope.

Fighting enemies of hope

"We are also aware that hope has its enemies," warns the Message. "Lack of faith in God’s love and care; loss of trust in our brothers and sisters; pessimism; despair and its opposite, unfounded presumption; unfair generalizations based on one’s own negative experiences, and so forth", are all enemies to faith it says. "These harmful thoughts, attitudes and reactions must be effectively countered, so as to strengthen hope in God and trust in all our brothers and sisters".

Pope's invitation to renewed hope

Bringing the Message to an end, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue notes that in his most recent encyclical, Fratelli tutti, "Pope Francis speaks frequently of hope". In it, he says, “I invite everyone to renewed hope, ‘for hope speaks to us of something deeply rooted in every human heart, independently of our circumstances and historical conditioning. Hope speaks to us of a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfilment, a desire to achieve great things, things that fill our heart and lift our spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love… and it can open us up to grand ideals that make life more beautiful and worthwhile’. Let us continue, then, to advance along the paths of hope”.

Finally, the Message reads that "we, Christians and Muslims, are called to be bearers of hope, for the present life and for the life to come, and to be witnesses, restorers and builders of this hope, especially for those experiencing difficulties and despair". And in a sign of spiritual solidarity, it says, "we assure you of our prayer, and we send best wishes for a peaceful and fruitful Ramadan, and for a joyful ‘Id al-Fitr."

 MESSAGE FOR THE MONTH OF RAMADAN 

AR - EN - ES - FR - IT

MULTILATERALISM, FRATERNITY NEEDED ON PATH TOWARD BETTER SOCIETY

The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, highlights key elements central to ongoing efforts toward achieving a fraternal society envisioned by Pope Francis in his Encyclical "Fratelli tutti." He reflects on the themes of healthcare, refugees, work, international humanitarian law and disarmament during a high-level online meeting held on Thursday, themed: "Fraternity, Multilateralism and Peace."

By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

Cardinal Pietro Parolin gave a discourse on Thursday, focusing on important themes in Pope Francis’s latest Encyclical, Fratelli tutti, in order to reflect on the impact that the crisis generated by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic is having on the international community and the entire human family.

The high-level online event on “Fraternity, Multilateralism and Peace” was divided into two panels. The first, dedicated to the importance of multilateralism, saw Cardinal Parolin and UN officials reflect on this important theme. The second panel, opened by a discourse from the President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal Miguel Ayuso Guixot, analyzed how interreligious dialogue can contribute to promoting a culture of social justice, dialogue and peace on the path toward human fraternity.

The virtual meeting was organized by the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and promoted by the Mission of the Order of Malta to the UN in Geneva, with the collaboration of the International Catholic Migration Commission, the Forum of Catholic NGOs, the Caritas in Veritate Foundation, as well as the Pontifical Lateran University.

Fraternity at center of Holy See’s diplomatic actions

In his discourse, Cardinal Parolin highlighted that to fully understand the concept of fraternity and its place in the Holy See’s multilateral diplomatic action, it is important to recall that fraternity was the first theme Pope Francis referred to on the day of his election as Pope, eight years ago. On that day in fact, Pope Francis said: “Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world, that there may be a great spirit of fraternity.”

“All the subsequent actions and activities of the Pontificate have been a natural and coherent consequence of a path oriented towards it,” Cardinal Parolin said.

Re-echoing Pope Francis’ 2017 message to the President of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, Cardinal Parolin noted that “while solidarity is the principle of social planning that allows the unequal to become equal; fraternity is what allows the equal to be different people. Fraternity allows people who are equal in their essence, dignity, freedom, and their fundamental rights to participate differently in the common good according to their abilities, their life plan, their vocation, their work, or their charism of service.”

In the same regard, continued the Cardinal, fraternity, when applied to multilateral action, translates into “the courage and generosity to freely establish certain common goals and to ensure their fulfilment of certain essential norms throughout the world” while maintaining faith with legitimately manifested will and resolving disputes through means offered by diplomacy, to achieve “a truly universal common good and the protection of weaker states.”

Therefore, in the present time – one year after the start of the pandemic - fraternity is important to help overcome the current dichotomy between the “code of efficiency” and the “code of solidarity”, as it pushes the world towards “an even more demanding and inclusive code,” Cardinal Parolin stressed.

Equal access to healthcare

In line with efforts towards achieving fraternity, Cardinal Parolin went on to propose some reflections on access to healthcare, refugees, work, international humanitarian law and disarmament.

As regards healthcare, the Vatican Secretary of State highlighted the “indissoluble bond” experienced around the world in the past year due to the pandemic, which has aroused the awareness that we are in the same boat and that the suffering of one affects all. He however lamented that this bond has given way to a race for vaccines and treatments at national levels, further making evident the gap in access to healthcare between developed countries and the rest of the world.

On this issue, Cardinal Parolin noted that the Holy See has issued a set of guidelines, inspired by a conviction of the importance of fraternity. Also from this perspective, the Cardinal emphasized that “the international community has an obligation to ensure that any Covid-19 vaccine and treatment is safe, available, accessible and affordable to all who need it.”

Care for refugees

“Attention to the neediest and those in vulnerable situations, especially refugees, migrants and internally displaced persons, is not only a testimony of fraternity, but a recognition of a concern for the real needs of our sisters and brothers,” the Vatican Secretary of State affirmed.

Recalling Pope Francis’ incessant appeals to leaders and international organizations for a globalization of solidarity capable of supplanting indifference, he bemoaned the suffering of refugees which continues to be a “wound in the social fabric of the international community” even in the year that marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).               

The Cardinal went on to reaffirm the Holy See’s support for the underlying vision of the Global Compact on Refugees which seeks to strengthen international cooperation through equitable sharing of responsibility for a sustainable solution to refugee situations.

Workers, hard-hit by pandemic

Another group significantly impacted by global pandemic containment strategies is workers, including informal workers, small business owners and traders, “who have seen an erosion of their savings and have often faced systematic barriers to accessing basic health care,” Cardinal Parolin pointed out.

To respond to this, he proposed that the traditional format of social dialogue be expanded to include the involvement of workers’ and employers’ organizations, complemented by actors in the informal economy, as well as a consideration for environmental protection.

Citing Fratelli tutti, the Cardinal insisted that we need to think about “social, political and economic participation that can include popular movements and invigorate local, national and international governing structures with that torrent of moral energy that springs from including the excluded in the building of a common destiny.”

Need to strengthen international humanitarian law

Cardinal Parolin went on to re-emphasize the importance of strengthening and promoting a respect for humanitarian law, stressing that it aims to safeguard the essential principles of humanity, protect civilians and ban the use of certain weapons in the context of war, which itself, is inhuman and dehumanizing.

He recalled that Henry Durant, the founder of the Red Cross, was inspired by a sense of fraternity when he convinced local populations and volunteers to provide aid to parties in conflict regardless of their affiliation. He added that in the same vein, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 represent an implicit recognition of the bond of fraternity that unites peoples, as well an acknowledgement of the need to set limits in conflicts.

In this regard, the Cardinal reiterated the Holy See’s hopes that States will achieve further development in humanitarian law “in order to take proper account of the characteristics of contemporary armed conflicts and the physical, moral and spiritual suffering that goes with them, with the aim of eliminating conflicts altogether.”

Disarmament

“The desire for peace, security and stability is in fact one of the deepest desires of the human heart, since it is rooted in the Creator, who makes all peoples members of the human family,” Cardinal Parolin said.

This aspiration, he insisted, cannot be satisfied by military means alone, and even less by the possession of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

He further noted that “it is not rhetorical to say that war is the antithesis of fraternity as “conflicts always cause suffering” – in those who experience them, but also in those who fight in them.

Despite some encouraging signs, including the re-entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, Cardinal Parolin laments the huge amounts allocated to armaments, pointing out that the disproportion between the material resources and human talents dedicated to the service of death and the resources dedicated to the service of life is a cause for scandal.

The Cardinal therefore seized the opportunity presented by the online event to reiterate the Holy See’s encouragement for efforts by States in the field of disarmament and arms control towards lasting peace and nuclear disarmament.

Concluding his discourse, the Vatican Secretary of State noted that it is not enough to proclaim commitment or encourage efforts in response to these great challenges, rather we are invited to respond concretely through individual responsibility and the capacity to share in a reciprocity of relationships through a spirit of fraternity that will help to overcome isolation. He added that that Pope Francis’ calls demand a presence and conduct that “responds to the actuality of relations between states and between peoples, especially when attitudes that abandon the vision of the common good seem to prevail.”

Vatican News

MESSAGE

 

WE LOOK UP TO HEAVEN. WE JOURNEY ON EARTH

 APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

TO IRAQ
[5-8 March 2021]

INTERRELIGIOUS MEETING

AR  - DE  - EN  - ES  - FR  - IT  - PL  - PT

 

Cari fratelli e sorelle,

questo luogo benedetto ci riporta alle origini, alle sorgenti dell’opera di Dio, alla nascita delle nostre religioni. Qui, dove visse Abramo nostro padre, ci sembra di tornare a casa. Qui egli sentì la chiamata di Dio, da qui partì per un viaggio che avrebbe cambiato la storia. Noi siamo il frutto di quella chiamata e di quel viaggio. Dio chiese ad Abramo di alzare lo sguardo al cielo e di contarvi le stelle (cfr Gen 15,5). In quelle stelle vide la promessa della sua discendenza, vide noi. E oggi noi, ebrei, cristiani e musulmani, insieme con i fratelli e le sorelle di altre religioni, onoriamo il padre Abramo facendo come lui: guardiamo il cielo e camminiamo sulla terra.

1. Guardiamo il cielo. Contemplando dopo millenni lo stesso cielo, appaiono le medesime stelle. Esse illuminano le notti più scure perché brillano insieme. Il cielo ci dona così un messaggio di unità: l’Altissimo sopra di noi ci invita a non separarci mai dal fratello che sta accanto a noi. L’Oltre di Dio ci rimanda all’altro del fratello. Ma se vogliamo custodire la fraternità, non possiamo perdere di vista il Cielo. Noi, discendenza di Abramo e rappresentanti di diverse religioni, sentiamo di avere anzitutto questo ruolo: aiutare i nostri fratelli e sorelle a elevare lo sguardo e la preghiera al Cielo. Tutti ne abbiamo bisogno, perché non bastiamo a noi stessi. L’uomo non è onnipotente, da solo non ce la può fare. E se estromette Dio, finisce per adorare le cose terrene. Ma i beni del mondo, che a tanti fanno scordare Dio e gli altri, non sono il motivo del nostro viaggio sulla Terra. Alziamo gli occhi al Cielo per elevarci dalle bassezze della vanità; serviamo Dio, per uscire dalla schiavitù dell’io, perché Dio ci spinge ad amare. Ecco la vera religiosità: adorare Dio e amare il prossimo. Nel mondo d’oggi, che spesso dimentica l’Altissimo o ne offre un’immagine distorta, i credenti sono chiamati a testimoniare la sua bontà, a mostrare la sua paternità mediante la loro fraternità.

Da questo luogo sorgivo di fede, dalla terra del nostro padre Abramo, affermiamo che Dio è misericordioso e che l’offesa più blasfema è profanare il suo nome odiando il fratello. Ostilità, estremismo e violenza non nascono da un animo religioso: sono tradimenti della religione. E noi credenti non possiamo tacere quando il terrorismo abusa della religione. Anzi, sta a noi dissolvere con chiarezza i fraintendimenti. Non permettiamo che la luce del Cielo sia coperta dalle nuvole dell’odio! Sopra questo Paese si sono addensate le nubi oscure del terrorismo, della guerra e della violenza. Ne hanno sofferto tutte le comunità etniche e religiose. Vorrei ricordare in particolare quella yazida, che ha pianto la morte di molti uomini e ha visto migliaia di donne, ragazze e bambini rapiti, venduti come schiavi e sottoposti a violenze fisiche e a conversioni forzate. Oggi preghiamo per quanti hanno subito tali sofferenze, per quanti sono ancora dispersi e sequestrati, perché tornino presto alle loro case. E preghiamo perché ovunque siano rispettate e riconosciute la libertà di coscienza e la libertà religiosa: sono diritti fondamentali, perché rendono l’uomo libero di contemplare il Cielo per il quale è stato creato.

Il terrorismo, quando ha invaso il nord di questo caro Paese, ha barbaramente distrutto parte del suo meraviglioso patrimonio religioso, tra cui chiese, monasteri e luoghi di culto di varie comunità. Ma anche in quel momento buio sono brillate delle stelle. Penso ai giovani volontari musulmani di Mosul, che hanno aiutato a risistemare chiese e monasteri, costruendo amicizie fraterne sulle macerie dell’odio, e a cristiani e musulmani che oggi restaurano insieme moschee e chiese. Il professor Ali Thajeel ci ha anche raccontato il ritorno dei pellegrini in questa città. È importante peregrinare verso i luoghi sacri: è il segno più bello della nostalgia del Cielo sulla Terra. Perciò amare e custodire i luoghi sacri è una necessità esistenziale, nel ricordo del nostro padre Abramo, che in diversi posti innalzò verso il cielo altari al Signore (cfr Gen 12,7.8; 13,18; 22,9). Il grande patriarca ci aiuti a rendere i luoghi sacri di ciascuno oasi di pace e d’incontro per tutti! Egli, per la sua fedeltà a Dio, divenne benedizione per tutte le genti (cfr Gen 12,3); il nostro essere oggi qui sulle sue orme sia segno di benedizione e di speranza per l’Iraq, per il Medio Oriente e per il mondo intero. Il Cielo non si è stancato della Terra: Dio ama ogni popolo, ogni sua figlia e ogni suo figlio! Non stanchiamoci mai di guardare il cielo, di guardare queste stelle, le stesse che, a suo tempo, guardò il nostro padre Abramo.

2. Camminiamo sulla terra. Gli occhi al cielo non distolsero, ma incoraggiarono Abramo a camminare sulla terra, a intraprendere un viaggio che, attraverso la sua discendenza, avrebbe toccato ogni secolo e latitudine. Ma tutto cominciò da qui, dal Signore che “lo fece uscire da Ur” (cfr Gen 15,7). Il suo fu dunque un cammino in uscita, che comportò sacrifici: dovette lasciare terra, casa e parentela. Ma, rinunciando alla sua famiglia, divenne padre di una famiglia di popoli. Anche a noi succede qualcosa di simile: nel cammino, siamo chiamati a lasciare quei legami e attaccamenti che, chiudendoci nei nostri gruppi, ci impediscono di accogliere l’amore sconfinato di Dio e di vedere negli altri dei fratelli. Sì, abbiamo bisogno di uscire da noi stessi, perché abbiamo bisogno gli uni degli altri. La pandemia ci ha fatto comprendere che «nessuno si salva da solo» (Lett. enc. Fratelli tutti, 54). Eppure ritorna sempre la tentazione di prendere le distanze dagli altri. Ma «il “si salvi chi può” si tradurrà rapidamente nel “tutti contro tutti”, e questo sarà peggio di una pandemia» (ibid., 36). Nelle tempeste che stiamo attraversando non ci salverà l’isolamento, non ci salveranno la corsa a rafforzare gli armamenti e ad erigere muri, che anzi ci renderanno sempre più distanti e arrabbiati. Non ci salverà l’idolatria del denaro, che rinchiude in sé stessi e provoca voragini di disuguaglianza in cui l’umanità sprofonda. Non ci salverà il consumismo, che anestetizza la mente e paralizza il cuore.

La via che il Cielo indica al nostro cammino è un’altra, è la via della pace. Essa chiede, soprattutto nella tempesta, di remare insieme dalla stessa parte. È indegno che, mentre siamo tutti provati dalla crisi pandemica, e specialmente qui dove i conflitti hanno causato tanta miseria, qualcuno pensi avidamente ai propri affari. Non ci sarà pace senza condivisione e accoglienza, senza una giustizia che assicuri equità e promozione per tutti, a cominciare dai più deboli. Non ci sarà pace senza popoli che tendono la mano ad altri popoli. Non ci sarà pace finché gli altri saranno un loro e non un noi. Non ci sarà pace finché le alleanze saranno contro qualcuno, perché le alleanze degli uni contro gli altri aumentano solo le divisioni. La pace non chiede vincitori né vinti, ma fratelli e sorelle che, nonostante le incomprensioni e le ferite del passato, camminino dal conflitto all’unità. Chiediamolo nella preghiera per tutto il Medio Oriente, penso in particolare alla vicina, martoriata Siria.

Il patriarca Abramo, che oggi ci raduna in unità, fu profeta dell’Altissimo. Un’antica profezia dice che i popoli «spezzeranno le loro spade e ne faranno aratri, delle loro lance faranno falci» (Is 2,4). Questa profezia non si è realizzata, anzi spade e lance sono diventate missili e bombe. Da dove può cominciare allora il cammino della pace? Dalla rinuncia ad avere nemici. Chi ha il coraggio di guardare le stelle, chi crede in Dio, non ha nemici da combattere. Ha un solo nemico da affrontare, che sta alla porta del cuore e bussa per entrare: è l’inimicizia. Mentre alcuni cercano di avere nemici più che di essere amici, mentre tanti cercano il proprio utile a discapito di altri, chi guarda le stelle delle promesse, chi segue le vie di Dio non può essere contro qualcuno, ma per tutti. Non può giustificare alcuna forma di imposizione, oppressione e prevaricazione, non può atteggiarsi in modo aggressivo.

Cari amici, tutto ciò è possibile? Il padre Abramo, egli che seppe sperare contro ogni speranza (cfr Rm 4,18) ci incoraggia. Nella storia abbiamo spesso inseguito mete troppo terrene e abbiamo camminato ognuno per conto proprio, ma con l’aiuto di Dio possiamo cambiare in meglio. Sta a noi, umanità di oggi, e soprattutto a noi, credenti di ogni religione, convertire gli strumenti di odio in strumenti di pace. Sta a noi esortare con forza i responsabili delle nazioni perché la crescente proliferazione delle armi ceda il passo alla distribuzione di cibo per tutti. Sta a noi mettere a tacere le accuse reciproche per dare voce al grido degli oppressi e degli scartati sul pianeta: troppi sono privi di pane, medicine, istruzione, diritti e dignità! Sta a noi mettere in luce le losche manovre che ruotano attorno ai soldi e chiedere con forza che il denaro non finisca sempre e solo ad alimentare l’agio sfrenato di pochi. Sta a noi custodire la casa comune dai nostri intenti predatori. Sta a noi ricordare al mondo che la vita umana vale per quello che è e non per quello che ha, e che le vite di nascituri, anziani, migranti, uomini e donne di ogni colore e nazionalità sono sacre sempre e contano come quelle di tutti! Sta a noi avere il coraggio di alzare gli occhi e guardare le stelle, le stelle che vide il nostro padre Abramo, le stelle della promessa.

Il cammino di Abramo fu una benedizione di pace. Ma non fu facile: egli dovette affrontare lotte e imprevisti. Anche noi abbiamo davanti un cammino accidentato, ma abbiamo bisogno, come il grande patriarca, di fare passi concreti, di peregrinare alla scoperta del volto dell’altro, di condividere memorie, sguardi e silenzi, storie ed esperienze. Mi ha colpito la testimonianza di Dawood e Hasan, un cristiano e un musulmano che, senza farsi scoraggiare dalle differenze, hanno studiato e lavorato insieme. Insieme hanno costruito il futuro e si sono scoperti fratelli. Anche noi, per andare avanti, abbiamo bisogno di fare insieme qualcosa di buono e di concreto. Questa è la via, soprattutto per i giovani, che non possono vedere i loro sogni stroncati dai conflitti del passato! È urgente educarli alla fraternità, educarli a guardare le stelle. È una vera e propria emergenza; sarà il vaccino più efficace per un domani di pace. Perché siete voi, cari giovani, il nostro presente e il nostro futuro!

Solo con gli altri si possono sanare le ferite del passato. La signora Rafah ci ha raccontato l’eroico esempio di Najy, della comunità sabeana mandeana, che perse la vita nel tentativo di salvare la famiglia del suo vicino musulmano. Quanta gente qui, nel silenzio e nel disinteresse del mondo, ha avviato cammini di fraternità! Rafah ci ha raccontato pure le indicibili sofferenze della guerra, che ha costretto molti ad abbandonare casa e patria in cerca di un futuro per i loro figli. Grazie, Rafah, per aver condiviso con noi la ferma volontà di restare qui, nella terra dei tuoi padri. Quanti non ci sono riusciti e hanno dovuto fuggire, trovino un’accoglienza benevola, degna di persone vulnerabili e ferite.

Fu proprio attraverso l’ospitalità, tratto distintivo di queste terre, che Abramo ricevette la visita di Dio e il dono ormai insperato di un figlio (cfr Gen 18,1-10). Noi, fratelli e sorelle di diverse religioni, ci siamo trovati qui, a casa, e da qui, insieme, vogliamo impegnarci perché si realizzi il sogno di Dio: che la famiglia umana diventi ospitale e accogliente verso tutti i suoi figli; che, guardando il medesimo cielo, cammini in pace sulla stessa terra.

POPE FRANCIS, PILGRIM OF PEACE - PÈLERIN DE PAIX - PEREGRINO DE PAZ

 Pope to Iraq:    

'I come as pilgrim of peace, seeking fraternity, reconciliation'

[AR - DE - EN - ES - FR - IT - PL - PT]

 Pope Francis sends a video message to the people of Iraq, to share a message of peace, fraternity and comfort, as he prepares for his Apostolic Visit which begins on Friday.

By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

 

As final preparations kick into high gear for Pope Francis’ scheduled Apostolic Journey to Iraq from 5 – 8 March, the Holy Father issued a message on Thursday to Iraqis ahead of his arrival, expressing his joy and anticipation of finally being physically present with them.

“Dear brothers and sisters in Iraq, peace be upon you!” Pope Francis said. “In a few days, I will finally be among you. I long to meet you, to see your faces and to visit your land, the ancient and extraordinary cradle of civilization.”

Pope Francis’ visit to the Middle Eastern nation comes as the realization of a dream of his predecessor, Pope St. John Paul II, who had planned to travel to Iraq at the end of 1999 but could not make the journey. The Pope's four-day journey will include visits to several cities, as well as meetings with Christian communities and religious leaders.

Penitent pilgrim of peace and reconciliation

“I come as a pilgrim, as a penitent pilgrim to implore forgiveness and reconciliation from the Lord after years of war and terrorism, to ask God for the consolation of hearts and the healing of wounds,” Pope Francis said.

Recent decades marked by war, insecurity and persecution have dwindled the numbers of the once vibrant Christian communities in Iraq which numbered between 1 and 1.4 million in 2003 but presently, are an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 people.

“And I come among you as a pilgrim of peace, to repeat: ‘you are all brothers and sisters’,” continued the Pope.

“Yes, I come as a pilgrim of peace in search of fraternity, animated by the desire to pray together and to walk together, also with brothers and sisters of other religious traditions, under the sign of our Father Abraham, who unites Muslims, Jews and Christians in one family.”

Comfort to a church in trying moments

Pope Francis, turning his thoughts to the many Christians who have borne witness to their faith in Jesus in the midst of difficult trials, expressed his gratitude to them and offered some fatherly words of comfort.

“I look forward to seeing you,” the Pope said. “I am honored to meet a martyred Church. Thank you for your witness.”

The Pope went on to acknowledge “the images of the destroyed houses and desecrated churches” that many Iraqi Christian communities still bear in mind. He prayed that the many martyrs they have known may “help us to persevere in the humble strength of love” and expressed to them “the affectionate caress of the whole Church, which is close to them and to the martyred Middle East” and encourages them to go forward.

“Let us not allow the terrible suffering you have experienced, which grieves me so much, to prevail,” Pope Francis urged. “Let us not give up in the face of the spread of evil.”

Further encouraging Iraqis to refer to their ancient sources of wisdom, the Pope reminded them of the example of Abraham who, though he left everything, never lost hope and went on to give birth to descendants as numerous as the stars in heaven.

“Dear brothers and sisters, let us look to the stars. There is our promise,” the Pope enjoined all.

Hope in spite of suffering

The Pope continued to express his closeness and his message of hope to the many others who have suffered over the years but have not fallen. These, noted the Pope, include Christians, Muslims and more particularly, the Yazidis who “have suffered so much.”

“I come to your blessed and wounded land as a pilgrim of hope,” said the Pope. “From you, in Nineveh, resounded the prophecy of Jonah, who prevented destruction and brought a new hope, the hope of God.”

Pope Francis enjoined everyone to be infected by this hope, “which encourages us to rebuild and begin again” and to help each other to strengthen our fraternity and to build together a future of peace, especially in these trying times of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic."

Concluding his message, the Holy Father reminded brothers and sisters of every religious tradition that it up to us to continue the journey that Abraham began thousands of years ago: to walk together, in the same spirit, along the paths of peace.

Pope Francis concluded his message invoking God’s blessings upon all and asking everyone to accompany him in prayer.

“I ask all of you to do the same as Abraham,” said the Pope. “Walk in hope and never stop looking at the stars.”

 Vatican News

MESSAGE TO IRAQ: [AR - DE - EN - ES - FR - IT - PL - PT]