杏MAP导航

By Tiziana Campisi

杏MAP导航 Francis on Friday visited the headquarters of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development for the event 鈥淧lanting a Flag Against Dehumanization鈥�.

Awaiting him were representatives of Popular Movements, marking the tenth anniversary of the first World Meeting of Popular Movements (WMPM) with the 杏MAP导航, held in Rome in 2014.

The 鈥淢eeting,鈥� a space for brotherhood among grassroots organizations from five continents, promotes the culture of encounter in support of the 鈥�3Ts鈥� (Techo, Tierra, Trabajo 鈥� Housing, Land, Work), aiming to dialogue and reflect on the journey since 2014 to address today鈥檚 challenges in favor of social justice and peace in our common home.

When the 杏MAP导航 arrived, he sat among the participants, listening to their discussion on ensuring 鈥渘o family is without a home, no peasant without land, no worker without rights, and no person without the dignity that comes from work,鈥� as the WMPM鈥檚 motto states.

Promoting fraternity

The 杏MAP导航 delivered a long speech, spoken in Spanish with off-cuff additions, in which he addressed social justice, called for care for the most vulnerable鈥攅lderly, children, and the poor鈥攁nd emphasized the value of 鈥渃om-passion,鈥� meaning to 鈥渟uffer with鈥� others, to stand alongside them, and to be the voice of the voiceless.

He called on the wealthy to share their resources, reminding them: 鈥淲ealth is made to be shared, to create and promote fraternity.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 stressed that 鈥渨ithout love, we are nothing鈥� and that all relationships should be founded on this love, as justice must be pursued without violence, as exemplified by the widow in the Gospel.

The greed of the wealthy

杏MAP导航 Francis highlighted a central theme from his : the need to address the problems of the poor by rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation. He pointed out that 鈥渨e all depend on the poor, even the rich.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 acknowledged that some criticize him for speaking more about the poor than the middle class, but he reaffirmed that the Gospel places the poor at the center.

He warned that if there are no just policies ensuring access to land, housing, and fair wages, 鈥渢he logic of material and human waste will spread, paving the way for violence and desolation.鈥�

鈥淯nfortunately,鈥� he added, 鈥渋t is often the wealthiest who oppose the realization of social justice or integral ecology, out of pure greed.鈥�

This greed is often masked by ideology but, according to the 杏MAP导航, it is the same avarice that pressures governments to support harmful policies.

Sharing Resources

The 杏MAP导航 expressed hope that economically powerful individuals would come out of isolation, 鈥渞eject the false security of money, and embrace the sharing of goods,鈥� which he described as having a universal destiny, stemming from Creation itself.

He emphasized that wealth must be shared 鈥渘ot as alms,鈥� but 鈥渇raternally.鈥� He urged the Popular Movements to demand this change, noting that a 鈥減erverse view of reality鈥� exalts the accumulation of wealth as a virtue, when in fact, it is a vice.

鈥淎ccumulation is not virtuous. Distribution is. Jesus did not accumulate; He multiplied,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 recalled, referencing Christ鈥檚 teachings on not storing up treasures on earth but in heaven.

The cry of the excluded

The 杏MAP导航 denounced the unchecked competition for wealth as 鈥渁 destructive force, leading to perdition,鈥� calling it 鈥渋rresponsible, immoral, and irrational.鈥� This greed, he said, divides humanity and destroys creation.

He urged leaders to heed the 鈥渃ry of the excluded,鈥� which has the power to awaken the consciences of political leaders responsible for enforcing economic, social, and cultural rights. These rights, he noted, are recognized by most nations and by the United Nations, yet they remain unfulfilled in the socio-economic reality.

Compassion

Justice, the 杏MAP导航 explained, must be accompanied by compassion, which means 鈥渢o suffer with others, sharing in their feelings.鈥� Compassion is not giving charity from a position of privilege but approaching others with empathy and solidarity.

鈥淭rue compassion builds unity and the beauty of the world,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said.

No one should be despised

He also condemned the 鈥渃ulture of winners,鈥� which is an aspect of the 鈥渃ulture of waste.鈥� This practice, often based on exploiting people or nature, or benefiting from financial speculation, tax evasion, or organized crime, leads some to arrogantly despise so-called 鈥渓osers.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 warned that this attitude of 鈥渓ooking down on others with indifference or contempt鈥� fuels violence.

鈥淭he silence in the face of injustice opens the way to social division, social division opens the way to verbal violence, verbal violence opens the way to physical violence, and physical violence to war,鈥� he emphasized.

A call for love

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded by affirming the need for love in every aspect of life. He cited his recent visit to a school for disabled children in Dili, Timor-Leste, saying, 鈥淲ithout love, none of this would make sense.鈥�

He reminded the Popular Movements that 鈥渟ocial justice and integral ecology can only be understood through love.鈥�

Social Darwinism

The 杏MAP导航 warned that the pursuit of self-interest and individualism leads to a form of 鈥渟ocial Darwinism,鈥� where the law of the strongest justifies indifference and cruelty.

He referred to this as coming from the Evil One, and encouraged the Popular Movements to resist any attempt to erase cultural memory or identity, symbolized by his reference to 鈥渃rocodiles鈥� who seek to devour the values of communities.

The drama of organized crime

杏MAP导航 Francis expressed concern about the rise of organized crime, which thrives on poverty and exclusion. He called for the continued fight against the criminal economy through the popular economy, stressing that no child or person should be a commodity in the hands of 鈥渕erchants of death.鈥�

Universal basic income

In closing, 杏MAP导航 Francis renewed his call for a Universal Basic Income to ensure that in the era of automation and artificial intelligence, no one is deprived of basic necessities. He emphasized that this is not just 鈥渃ompassion鈥� but 鈥渟trict justice.鈥�

Finally, the 杏MAP导航 expressed his personal hope for future generations: 鈥淗ow I wish that the new generations may find a much better world than the one we have received.鈥�

And he concluded with a message of hope: 鈥淗ope is the weakest virtue, but it never disappoints.鈥�