杏MAP导航

By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

鈥淩eceive a cordial greeting from this old man, who does not dance or sing like you, but who believes as you do that injustice and evil are not invincible,鈥� said 杏MAP导航 Francis in a video message to participants at 鈥淰AX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World.鈥�

The event, which takes place on Saturday, aims to celebrate the hope that Covid-19 vaccines are offering families and communities around the world. It is also part of a growing chorus of voices seeking wider and more equitable distribution of the vaccines.

Need for healing from the roots

Amid the 鈥渄arkness and uncertainty鈥� brought about by the ongoing pandemic, 鈥渨e need light and hope. We need paths of healing and salvation,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said.

Elaborating further, he specifies that he is referring to is a 鈥渉ealing from the roots, which cures the cause of evil and is not limited only to the symptoms.鈥�

The Holy Father, therefore, encouraged everyone not to forget the most vulnerable in the face of the pandemic, which has 鈥減roduced death and suffering, affecting the lives of all,鈥� and also contributed to exacerbating already existing social and environmental crises.

Individualism makes us indifferent to sufferings of others

Illustrating some of the ills we need to heal from, the 杏MAP导航 noted that within 鈥渢hese diseased roots, we find the virus of individualism, which does not make us any freer or more equal, nor more brothers鈥� but rather makes us indifferent to the sufferings of others.

Other variants of this cultural virus, he said, are closed nationalism which prevents sharing of vaccines, and putting the laws of the market or intellectual property above the laws of love and the health of others.

Likewise, another variant is 鈥渨hen we believe in and foment a sick economy that allows a very rich few to possess more than all the rest of humanity, and when models of production and consumption destroy the planet, our 鈥榗ommon home鈥�.鈥�

Everything is interconnected

杏MAP导航 Francis went on to highlight the interconnectedness of everything, pointing out that we are united in nature and person, and thus every social injustice and act of marginalization against poor people also affects the environment.

He added that God instills in our hearts a new and generous spirit that enables us to abandon individualism in order to promote the common good.

It is a 鈥渟pirit of justice that mobilizes us to ensure universal access to vaccines and the temporary suspension of intellectual property rights; a spirit of communion that allows us to generate a different, more inclusive, just, sustainable economic model,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said.

A better, post-pandemic society

The 杏MAP导航 then reminded everyone that 鈥渨e do not come out of a crisis the same, we either come out better or worse.鈥�

However, he noted that 鈥渢he problem lies in having the inventiveness to look for paths that are better鈥� in our efforts to deal with the crisis we are experiencing due to the pandemic.

He thus prayed that God may comfort the suffering and welcome those who have died into His kingdom.

He also implored our Lord that for us, pilgrims on earth, He may grant 鈥渢he gift of a new brotherhood, a universal solidarity, so that we may recognize the good and beauty he has sown in each of us, to strengthen bonds of unity, of common projects, of shared hopes.鈥�

The Holy Father concluded his video message with an expression of gratitude to the participants for their efforts and a request for prayers for himself.