杏MAP导航

By Robin Gomes

杏MAP导航 Francis on Thursday expressed his closeness with the minority Roma and Sinti people of Rome saying he suffers and is greatly pained when he hears about insults, racial hatred and violence against them.   鈥淭his is not civilization鈥�  Love is civilization,鈥�  the 杏MAP导航 told some 500 of them during a prayer meeting in the Vatican. 

The initiative organized by the Migrantes Foundation of the Italian bishops鈥� conference (CEI) was attended by pastoral workers, CEI president Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti and others.  The prayer meeting came in the wake of violent protests by residents of a Rome periphery against the allotment of an apartment in a government housing complex to a nomad family.

Stereotyping

After hearing moving testimonies of a Roma priest and a mother of 4, the 杏MAP导航 regretted the 鈥渂itter pain of segregation鈥� that they feel on their skin and that pushes them aside.  鈥淪ociety lives on fairy tales,鈥� stereotyping people as beggars and sinners, the 杏MAP导航 said, asking, 鈥淎re you not a sinner?鈥�  He said that all of us are sinners, we all make mistakes in life but I cannot wash my hands of them, looking out for the real or fake sins of others.  The Holy Father said that one needs to first look at one鈥檚 own sins, and if he or she sees someone making a 鈥渨rong turn鈥�, to help the person out.

Adjectives create rift between mind and heart

鈥淥ne thing that makes me angry,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渋s that we are used to talking about people with adjectives.鈥�  Stereotyping persons with adjectives such as ugly, bad and evil are something 鈥渢hat creates distances between the mind and the heart.鈥�   

This, he said, is not a political, social, cultural or language problem, but one of 鈥渄istance between the mind and heart鈥�.

The Holy Father admitted that 鈥渟econd-class citizens鈥� do exist 鈥渂ut the real second-class citizens are those who discard people鈥� because they cannot embrace鈥�.    With adjectives and slander, he said, these people throw out and discard others with a broom in hand. 

Real delinquents?

鈥淚nstead, the real road is that of brotherhood.鈥�   He warned against the danger and weakness of letting resentment or grudge grow because rancour sickens the heart, the head and everything and leads to revenge. 

Without mentioning names, the 杏MAP导航 alluded to criminal organizations in Italy who he said are 鈥渕asters of revenge鈥� 鈥� 鈥渁 group of people who are able to take revenge and live in 鈥溾�榦merta鈥� [code of silence].  鈥淭his is a group of delinquent people; not people who want to work.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 concluded urging all not to create distances in the mind and heart with adjectives.