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Pope Francis’ ecumenical peace pilgrimage to Democratic Republic of Congo & South Sudan
Pope Francis’ address to some charities in Congo
Apostolic Nunciature (Kinshasa) – Wednesday, 1st February 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
I greet you with affection and thank you for your songs, your testimonies and for all that you have told me, but especially for all that you are doing!
In this country, where the sound of violence is heard like the loud crash of a felled tree, you are the forest that quietly grows every day and makes the air clean and breathable.
Of course, a falling tree makes more noise, but God loves and blesses the generosity that silently sprouts and bears fruit, and He looks with joy on all those who serve the needy.
This is how goodness grows: in the simplicity of hands and hearts that reach out to others and in the courage of small steps that approach the poor and vulnerable in the name of Jesus.
The proverb quoted by Cecilia quoted is truly true: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.
One thing struck me: you did not simply list social problems or give me with statistics on poverty, but more importantly you spoke with affection about the poor.
You talked about yourselves and about people you did not know before, but who are now familiar to you; people with names and faces.
I am grateful that you are able to see Jesus in the least of his brothers and sisters.
The Lord is to be sought and loved in the poor and we, as Christians, must be careful not to turn our backs on them. There is something wrong when a believer keeps Christ’s loved ones at a distance.
While so many today reject the poor, you embrace them; while the world exploits them, you encourage them. Encouragement versus exploitation: Here is a forest that is growing, while deforestation and waste are rampant! I want to spread the word about what you are doing to encourage growth and hope in the Democratic Republic of Congo and throughout the continent.
I came here out of a desire to be a voice for the voiceless.
How I wish the media would give more space to this country and to Africa as a whole!
If only the peoples, cultures, sufferings and hopes of this young continent of the future were better known! People would discover immense talents and stories of true human and Christian greatness, born of a healthy environment characterized by respect for children, the elderly and all of creation.
I am happy to be this voice here at the Nunciature, because the Papal Representations, the “Pope’s Houses” throughout the world, are and must be promoters of human development, centers of charity, at the forefront of the diplomacy of mercy through their efforts to facilitate effective aid and to promote networks of cooperation.
This is now happening without fanfare in many parts of the world, just as it has been happening here for a long time. This house has been a neighbourhood presence for decades.
Founded ninety years ago as an Apostolic Delegation, in a few days it will celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of its elevation to the rank of Nunciature.
Brothers and sisters, you love this country and you are dedicated to its people.
What you do is wonderful, but it is not easy. We are moved to tears when we hear stories like the one you told me, of suffering men and women made homeless by general indifference.
This leads them to live on the streets, where they are at risk of physical violence, sexual abuse and even accusations of witchcraft, when all they need is love and care.
I was struck by what you told us, Tekadio. Because of leprosy, even today, in 2023, you feel, “discriminated against, looked down upon and humiliated”, while people, with a mixture of shame, incomprehension and fear, rush to disinfect where even your shadow has passed.
Poverty and rejection are an offense against human beings, robbing them of their dignity.
They are like ashes that extinguish the fire he or she carries within.
Yes, each person, created in the image of God, shines with a bright fire, but only love removes the grime that conceals that image.
Only by restoring dignity do we restore humanity!
I was saddened to learn that here too, as in many parts of the world, children and the elderly are discarded. This is scandalous and even more so, it is harmful to the whole society, whose health depends precisely on the care it gives to the elderly and to children, for they are its roots and its future. Let us not forget: true human development cannot flourish where there is no memory and no future. Memory is kept alive by the old while the future is carried forward by the young.
Brothers and sisters, today I would like to pose two questions to you, and through you, to the many who work for the good of this great country.
First: is it worth it?
Is it worth the effort to fight this ever-growing ocean of need?
Isn’t it a futile and often discouraging endeavor?
What Sister Marie Celeste said can help us to answer that question. She said: “In spite of our insignificance, the crucified Lord wants us at his side to help him bear the tragedies of the world.”
It is true that charity attunes us to God and he surprises us with unexpected miracles through those he loves. Their stories are full of stupendous events, known to the heart of God and impossible to attribute to human strength alone.
I think of what you told us, Pierre, when you said that in the desert of powerlessness and indifference, in the sea of sorrow, you and your friends discovered that God had not forgotten you, because he sent you people who did not turn around when they crossed the street where you were standing. In their faces, you discovered the face of Jesus and now you want to help others do the same. Goodness is like that, it spreads; it is not paralyzed by resignation or statistics, but urges us to give to others what we ourselves freely received. I receive and I give. Young people in particular need to see this: they need to see faces that overcome indifference by looking people in the eye, and hands that do not wield weapons or misuse money, but reach out to those who are down on the ground and lift them back up to their dignity, the dignity of a daughter and son of God.
There is only one instance in which it is proper to look down on a person: to help lift up that person up. Otherwise, we should never look down on a person.
So it is worth it!
It is a good sign that the civil authorities, through recent agreements with the Episcopal Conference, have recognized and valued the efforts of those engaged in social and charitable work. This certainly does not mean that we can systematically delegate to volunteers the care of the weakest and most vulnerable, or of health and education. These are the primary responsibilities of those who govern; they should ensure that basic services are provided to those who live far from large urban centers. At the same time, believers in Christ must never sully the witness of charity, which is a witness to God, by seeking privilege, prestige, fame and power.
It is a bad thing that we should never do. No, our means, resources and goals are to be used for the poor. Those who care for them are always called to remember that power is service, and that charity does not make us rest on our laurels, but demands urgency and concrete action.
In this regard, among the many things that need to be done, I would like to highlight a challenge that concerns everyone and not simply this country. What causes poverty is not so much the absence of goods and opportunities, but their unequal distribution. Those who are wealthy, especially if they are Christians, are challenged to share what they have with those who lack the necessities, of life. and all the more so if they are members of the same people.
This is not a matter of charity, but of justice.
It is not philanthropy, but faith. For, as Scripture says, “faith without works is dead” (Jas 2:26).
This brings us to our second question, How is it to be done?
It has to do with the duty and urgency of doing good. How is it to be done?
How should charity be done? What criteria should be followed?
Here I would like to offer you three simple thoughts. They are well known to the charitable institutions working here, but it is helpful to recall them, so that the service of Jesus in the poor may become an ever more fruitful form of witness.
First of all, charity requires that we set an example.
It is not just something we do; it is an expression of who we are.
It is a way of life, a way of living out the Gospel, and it requires credibility and transparency.
I am thinking of the financial and administrative management of projects, but also of the need to provide appropriate services in a competent manner. This is the spirit that characterizes many ecclesial works that have benefited this country and marked its history.
May we always set a good example!
Second, to be farsighted, to have foresight.
It is essential that initiatives and good works not only respond to immediate needs, but also prove sustainable over time. They should not be charity-driven, but should consider what will be most effective in the long run, so that they last and do not end with those who started them.
In this country, for example, the soil is incredibly fertile and extremely productive.
The generosity of those who give you aid must recognize this reality and promote the growth of the people who inhabit this land, teaching them how to cultivate it and creating development projects that leave the future in their hands.
Rather than distributing goods that will always be in short supply, it is better to transmit knowledge and the tools that make development autonomous and sustainable.
Here I would like to mention the great contribution of the Catholic health services, which in this country, as in many others throughout the world, offer relief and hope to the people, helping the suffering in a spirit of generosity and competence, always seeking, as is right, to help others through the use of appropriate and modern means.
The Third element – being connected
To be an example, to be farsighted, and now – the third element – to be connected.
Brothers and sisters, you must network, not only virtually but also concretely.
We see this illustrated in your country in the symphony of life found in the great forest and its diverse vegetation.
Networking requires ever greater collaboration, constant interaction with one another, always in communion with the local Churches and the region.
Networking: each according to its own charism, but together, linked, sharing concerns, priorities and needs, without remaining isolated or self-referential, ready to collaborate with other Christian communities, with other religions and with the many humanitarian organizations present here, all for the good of the poor.
Network with everyone.
Dear brothers and sisters, I leave you with these reflections and I thank you for what you have given me today.
In fact, thank you for touching my heart. You are a great treasure.
I bless you and ask you to continue to pray for me. I need your prayers. Thank you so much!
