Pope: The poverty created by the pandemic calls for new, creative responses
Francis speaks to the St Peter’s Circle charity association, urging them to “heart that knows how to 'see' the wounds of society and creative hands in industrious charity. These two elements are important so that a charitable action can always be fruitful ".
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The situation created by the current pandemic is “exceptional” and this requires “equally exceptional responses” observed Pope Francis in his meeting today with the members of the Circolo San Pietro (St Peter’s Circle charity association) who also brought the donations collected in Rome for St. Peter’s Pense.
He pointed out how the pandemic has created the need "to respond to the urgencies of many families, who found themselves in economic hardship overnight. And do not take fright: there will be more and more and more, because the effects of the pandemic will be terrible”.
In order to be able to respond in a new way, Francis continued, "it is necessary to have a heart that knows how to 'see' the wounds of society and creative hands in industrious charity. These two elements are important so that a charitable action can always be fruitful. First of all, it is urgent to identify new forms of poverty in the rapidly changing city. Poverty is usually modest: you have to go and find out where it is ... The new forms of poverty: you know well, there are many: material poverty, human poverty, social poverty. We are tasked with being able to perceive tem with the eyes of the heart. We must know how to look upon human wounds with our heart to "take the life of the other to heart". So this is no longer just a stranger in need of help but, first of all, a brother, a sister begging for love. And only when we take someone to heart can we respond to this expectation. It is the experience of mercy: miseri-cor-dare, give your heart to the poor. Our world, as Saint John Paul II observed forty years ago, "seems to leave no room for mercy" (Enc. Dives in misericordia, 2)".
“We are all each of us called to reverse course. And this is possible if we allow ourselves to be personally touched by the power of God's mercy. The privileged place to experience this is the sacrament of Reconciliation. In presenting our miseries to the Lord, we are surrounded by the Father's mercy. And it is this mercy that we are called to live and to give. After seeing the plagues of the city in which we live, mercy invites us to have 'creative’ hands. This is what you have done in this pandemic: having accepted the challenge of responding to a concrete situation, you have been able to adapt your service to the new needs imposed by the virus ".
Pope Francis concluded: "I always like to remember that even a small gesture of great importance that the young people of your Circle made towards the older members: a round of phone calls to see if everything was going well and to give them some company. This is the fantasy of mercy. I encourage you to continue with commitment and joy in your works of charity, always attentive and ready to respond boldly to the needs of the poor. Do not tire of asking the Holy Spirit for this grace in personal and community praye
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