杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

杏MAP导航 Francis ended his pilgrimage to the Balkan country of Romania asking forgiveness, in the name of the Church, for the injustice perpetrated against some of the country鈥檚 鈥� and the world鈥檚 - most marginalized and discriminated people.

His apology and call for social inclusion came during a meeting with representatives of the Roma community that makes up about 10 percent of the nation鈥檚 20 million people.

He chose the Barbu Lautaru district of the city of Blaj, where the majority of the inhabitants are Roma to ask forgiveness for all the times in history the Church has discriminated or mistreated them.  

The Church: a place of encounter

Describing the Church as a place of encounter in which there is room for everyone, 杏MAP导航 Francis said this fact is part of our identity as Christians.

But, the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥淢y heart is heavy.  It is weighed down by the many experiences of discrimination, segregation and mistreatment experienced by your communities鈥�.

Apology

鈥淚 would like to ask your forgiveness for this,鈥� he said, noting that Christians, including Catholics, 鈥渁re not strangers to such evil鈥�.  

鈥淚 ask forgiveness 鈥� in the name of the Church and of the Lord 鈥� and I ask forgiveness of you,鈥� he said.

The 杏MAP导航 said his plea for pardon refers to 鈥渁ll those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you, with the look of Cain rather than that of Abel, and were unable to acknowledge you, to value you and to defend you in your uniqueness鈥�.

Condemning an attitude of indifference that breeds prejudices and fosters anger and resentment, the 杏MAP导航 said 鈥淲henever anyone is left behind, the human family cannot move forward鈥�.

Deep down, he continued, 鈥渨e are not Christians, and not even good human beings, unless we are able to see the person before his or her actions, before our own judgments and prejudices鈥�.

Choose love over hatred

The 杏MAP导航 then said that as men and women of good will, we need to choose a civilization of love over a civilization of hate, and he invited the faithful to choose the way of Jesus, that 鈥� he said 鈥� demands effort, but brings peace.

The Roma community has a great role to play

杏MAP导航 Francis then encouraged those present, who represent their people across the globe, never to be afraid to share and offer the distinctive gifts that mark their culture and their history. 

Amongst those he listed were the respect for the value of life and of the extended family, support and concern for the vulnerable within the community, respect and appreciation for the elderly, spontaneity and joie de vivre.

鈥淲herever you find yourselves鈥�, he said, 鈥渟hare those gifts and try to accept all the good that others can offer to you鈥� and he encouraged them to journey together, in helping to build a more humane and fraternal world.