杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

In his address to people of the Amazon region of Peru, 杏MAP导航 Francis, picking up on the witness given by a local family, said that this land, a land 鈥渢hat is mostly forgotten, wounded and marginalized鈥� is not 鈥渁 no man鈥檚 land.鈥� This land, he said, 鈥渉as names. It has faces. It has you.鈥�
 

杏MAP导航 Francis spoke especially to the issue of the exploitation of the land, and once again denounced the 鈥渢hrowaway culture鈥� which throws out 鈥渁nything that does not serve its interests.鈥� Even people, he said, are treated this way, tossed aside and abandoned as soon as they are deemed useless. In particular, he denounced human trafficking, which he said is better spoken of as slavery: 鈥渟lavery for work, sexual slavery, and slavery for profit.鈥� He spoke out especially about the exploitation of women: 鈥淚t is not right,鈥� he said, 鈥渇or us to look the other way and let the dignity of so many women, especially young women, be trampled upon.鈥�

The Holy Father also noted how many people have immigrated to the Amazon region in search of better futures for themselves, notably in the area of gold mining. But he warned that gold 鈥渃an be turned into a false god that demands human sacrifices.鈥� False gods, he said, corrupt everything, 鈥減eople and institutions,鈥� and 鈥渢hey ruin the forest.鈥� Calling to mind the words of Christ, that some demons can only be expelled through much prayer, he said, 鈥渢his is one of them.鈥� He encouraged his listeners to continue to organize in order to overcome these situations.

鈥淪alvation is not something generic or abstract,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said. Every Christian community should reflect the gaze of Jesus, a gaze 鈥渢hat creates bonds and generates community.鈥�

The Holy Father concluded his address with words of encouragement: 鈥淚 have hope in you,鈥� he said, "in the hearts of all those people who seek a blessed live.鈥� And he called on them to love their land, even to 鈥渇all in love鈥� with it, and to commit themselves to the land, and to care for it. 鈥淒o not use this land as a mere disposable object,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, But as a genuine treasure to be enjoyed, cultivated, and entrusted to your children.鈥�

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥淟et us commend ourselves to Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother, and place ourselves under her protection,鈥� before leading those present in praying the Hail Mary.