Fr. Luis Espinal, who preached the Gospel, the Gospel that brings us freedom,
that sets us free. Like every child of God, Jesus brought us this freedom, and
he preached this Gospel. May Jesus keep him with Him. May the Lord grant him
eternal repose and may endless light shine for him. May he rest in peace".
"And to all of you, dear brothers, May the Lord Almighty, the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit, bless you. And please, I ask you, do not forget to pray
for
me. Thank you".
___________________________________________________________
To the civil authorities of Bolivia: Francis calls for an integral ecology
Vatican City, 9 July 2015 (VIS) - Pope Francis arrived at the archbishop's
residence at La Paz, surrounded by the thousands of people who followed him
from
the airport to the Bolivian capital. Following a brief rest, the Holy Father
transferred by popemobile to the seat of the government where he paid a
courtesy
visit to President Evo Morales, who introduced his family and colleagues.
The Pope then walked from the government building to the Cathedral of Our Lady
of Peace, an imposing structure built in the mid-nineteenth century, whose
facade blends neo-Classical and Baroque elements and which is able to hold a
thousand people. There, he met with the civil authorities and the Pope
pronounced a discourse, published below, in which he focused on the importance
of an integral ecology, of the participation of all social strata for the
common
good, and the family, reiterating the need to "build bridges rather than erect
walls".
"I am pleased to meet you, the political and civil authorities of Bolivia, the
members of the Diplomatic Corps and representatives of the nation's cultural
institutions and volunteer organisations. I am grateful to Archbishop Edmundo
Abastoflor of La Paz for his kind welcome. With your permission, I would like
to
offer a few words of encouragement in support of your work.
"Each of us here shares a calling to work for the common good. Fifty years
ago,
Vatican Council II defined the common good as the sum of those conditions of
social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively
thorough and ready access to their own fulfilment. I thank you for striving -
in
your work and your mission - to enable individuals and society to develop and
find fulfilment. I am certain that you seek what is beautiful, true and good in
your service of the common good. May your efforts contribute to the growth of
greater respect for the human person, endowed with basic and inalienable rights
ordered to his or her integral development, and social peace, namely, the
stability and security provided by a certain order which cannot be achieved
without particular concern for distributive justice. Put simply, wealth is to
be
distributed.
"On the way to this Cathedral I was able to admire the peaks of Hayna Potosi,
the 'young mountain', and Illimani, the mountain which shows 'the place where
the sun rises'. I also saw the ingenious way in which many houses and
neighbourhoods blend with the hillsides, and was struck by the architecture of
some of these structures. The natural environment is closely related to social,
political and economic environment. It is urgent for all of us to lay the
foundations of an integral ecology, one capable of respecting all these human
dimensions in resolving the grave social and environmental issues of our time.
Otherwise, the glaciers of those mountains will continue to recede, and our
sense of gratitude and responsibility with regard to these gifts, our concern
for the world we want to leave to future generations, for its meaning and
values, will melt just like those glaciers.
"Because everything is related, we need one another. If politics is dominated
by financial speculation, or if the economy is ruled solely by a technocratic
and utilitarian paradigm concerned with maximum production, we will not grasp,
much less resolve, the great problems of humanity. Cultural life has an
important role to play in this regard, for it has to do not only with the
development of the mind through the sciences and the creation of beauty through
the arts, but also esteem for the local traditions of a people, which are so
expressive of the milieu in which they arose and to which they give meaning.
There is also need for an ethical and moral education which can cultivate
solidarity and shared responsibility between individuals. We should acknowledge
the specific role of the religions in the development of culture and the
benefits which can they can bring to society. Christians in particular, as
disciples of the Good News, are bearers of a message of salvation which has the
ability to ennoble and to inspire great ideals. In this way it leads to ways of
acting which transcend individual interest, readiness to make sacrifices for
the
sake of others, sobriety and other virtues which develop in us the ability to
live as one. These virtues are expressed very simply in your culture as three
commandments: do not lie, do not steal, and do not be lazy.
"It is so easy for us to become accustomed to the atmosphere of inequality all
around us, with the result that we take it for granted. Without even being
conscious of it, we confuse the 'common good' with 'prosperity', especially
when
we are the ones who enjoy that prosperity. Prosperity understood only in terms
of material wealth has a tendency to become selfish, to defend private
interests, to be unconcerned about others, and to give free rein to
consumerism.
Understood in this way, prosperity, instead of helping, breeds conflict and
social disintegration; as it becomes more prevalent, it opens the door to the
evil of corruption, which brings so much discouragement and damage in its wake.
The common good, on the other hand, is much more than the sum of individual
interests. It moves from 'what is best for me' to 'what is best for everyone'.
It embraces everything which brings a people together: common purpose, shared
values, ideas which help us to look beyond our limited individual horizons.
"Different social groups have a responsibility to work for unity and the
development of society. Freedom is always the best environment for thinkers,
civic associations and the communications media to carry out their activities
with passion and creativity in service of the common good. Christians too, are
called to be a leaven within society, to bring it their message. The light of
Christ's Gospel is not the property of the Church; the Church is at the service
of the Gospel, so that it can reach the ends of the earth. Faith is a light
which does not blind or confuse, but one which illuminates and respectfully
guides the consciences and history of every person and society. Christianity
has
played an important role in shaping the identity of the Bolivian people.
Religious freedom - a phrase we often encounter in civil discourse - also
reminds us that faith cannot be restricted to a purely subjective experience.
It
also challenges us to help foster the growth of spirituality and Christian
commitment in social projects.
"Among the various social groups, I would like to mention in particular the
family, which is everywhere threatened by domestic violence, alcoholism,
sexism,
drug addiction, unemployment, urban unrest, the abandonment of the elderly, and
children left to the streets. These problems often meet with pseudo-solutions
which show the clear effects of an ideological colonisation. ... So many social
problems are quietly resolved in the family; the failure to assist families
would leave those who are most vulnerable without protection.
"A nation which seeks the common good cannot be closed in on itself; societies
are strengthened by networks of relationships. The current problem of
immigration makes this clear. These days it is essential to improve diplomatic
relations between the countries of the region, in order to avoid conflicts
between sister peoples and to advance frank and open dialogue about their
problems. Instead of raising walls, we need to be building bridges. All these
issues, thorny as they may be, can find solutions which are shared, reasonable,
equitable and lasting. And in any event, they should never be a cause for
aggressivity, resentment or enmity; these only worsen situations and stand in
the way of their resolution.
"Bolivia is at an historic crossroads: politics, the world of culture, the
religions are all part of this beautiful challenge to grow in unity. In this
land whose history has been marred by exploitation, greed and so many forms of
selfishness and sectarianism, now is the time for integration. Today Bolivia
can
'create new forms of cultural synthesis'. How beautiful are those cities which
overcome paralysing mistrust, integrate those who are different and make this
very integration a new factor of development! How attractive it is when those
cities are full of spaces which connect, relate and favour the recognition of
others!'. Bolivia in its process of integration and its search for unity, is
called to be an example of such 'multifaceted and inviting harmony'.
"I thank you for your attention. I pray to the Lord that Bolivia, 'this
innocent and beautiful land", may make ever greater progress towards being 'the
happy homeland whose people enjoy the blessings of good fortune and peace'. May
the Blessed Virgin watch over you, and the Lord bless you abundantly. Please
remember me in your prayers. Thank you".
The Pope then returned to El Alto airport, to continue his trip in Santa Cruz
de la Sierra where today, 9 July, he will preside at the Holy Mass for the
opening of the Fifth National Eucharistic Council, meet with priests, religious
and seminarians, and give an address to conclude the Second World Meeting of
Popular Movements.
___________________________________________________________
Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 9 July 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Fr. Simon Poh
Hoon Seng as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Kuching (area 19,173, population
1,216,000, Catholics 192,569, priests 37, religious 82), Malaysia. The
bishop-elect was born in Sri Aman, Malaysia in 1963 and was ordained a priest
in
1988. He holds a licentiate in missiology from the Pontifical Urbanian
University, Rome, and has served in a number of roles in the archdiocese of
Kuching, including parish vicar, parish priest, director of the Commission for
Vocations and spiritual counsellor for the Commission for Youth. He is
currently
chancellor of the archdiocese and member of the college of consultors, lecturer
in missiology and spiritual director of the St. Peter's College major seminary
in Kuching, coordinator of the archdiocesan commission "Mission and
Evangelisation", coordinator of the Human Development Commission, and parish
priest of the Cathedral of Kuching.
___________________________________________________________
For more information and to search for documents refer to the site:
www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va
Copyright (VIS): the news contained in the services of the Vatican
Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting
the source: V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service.
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/vis_en.html
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* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)
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