Vatican
City, 26 July 2013 (VIS) – Following this morning's Mass at the
Sumare residence, the Pope visited the town hall at 9.45 a.m. local
time. On the balcony of the central hall, the major of Rio de
Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, consigned the keys to the city to Pope
Francesco. From there, they proceeded to the gardens where the Holy
Father blessed the flags for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and
greeted several young athletes representing a variety of different
sports. As well as the 2014 World Cup, Brazil will host the 31st
Olympic Games in 2016, the first to be held in South America.
At
10 a.m., the Pope travelled by car to the community of Varginha,
Manguinhos, a distance of eighteen kilometres. This community forms
part of one of the largest favelas in the northern part of the city,
which has been pacified by local police. The term “favela” comes
from “faveila” or mandioca brava, a rough wild leguminous plant
that grows as a weed in several regions of Brazil. It is said that in
November 1897, soldiers who had won the War of Canudos in Bahia
landed in Rio because the government had promised them homes there.
Since the ensuing bureaucracy was endless, they occupied the Gamboa
hill, built their huts there, and called the place Morro da Favela.
The
Holy Father arrived at 11 a.m., and was received by the parish
priest, the episcopal vicar and the superior of the Sisters of
Charity. He then proceeded to the little church of St. Jerome
Emiliani and after a moment of prayer, went on foot to the football
field where the community awaited him. He visited a family on the way
and, before his address, greeted a local couple, Rangler and Joana.
Francis
confessed that his wish, when planning his trip to Brazil, was to
visit all the nation's neighbourhoods, but the vastness of the
country made this impossible so he had to choose just one. “It is
wonderful to be here with you! I would have liked to knock on every
door, to say 'good morning', to ask for a glass of cold water, to
take a cafezinho – not a glass of grappa! - to speak as one would
to family friends, to listen to each person pouring out his or her
heart – parents, children, grandparents ... But Brazil is so vast!
It is impossible to knock on every door!” Pope Francis again
thanked all Brazilians for welcoming him with “such love,
generosity, and joy”, for the street decorations, “a further mark
of affection … from your heart,
He
remarked that when we are “generous in welcoming people and sharing
something with them … not only do we no longer remain poor: we are
enriched”, and mentioned the Brazilian proverb, “one can always
“add more water to the beans”.
“The
Brazilian people”, he continued, “particularly the humblest among
you, can offer the world a valuable lesson in solidarity; this word
solidarity is too often forgotten or silenced, because it is
uncomfortable”. The Pope appealed “to those in possession of
greater resources, to public authorities and to all people of good
will who are working for social justice: never tire of working for a
more just world, marked by greater solidarity! No one can remain
insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world! Everybody,
according to his or her particular opportunities and
responsibilities, should be able to make a personal contribution to
putting an end to so many social injustices. The culture of
selfishness and individualism that often prevails in our society is
not, I repeat not, what builds up and leads to a more habitable
world: rather, it is the culture of solidarity that does so; the
culture of solidarity means seeing others not as rivals or
statistics, but brothers and sisters. And we are all brothers and
sisters”.
The
Pope expressed his encouragement of the efforts Brazilian society is
making to integrate all its members, and emphasised that “No amount
of 'peace-building' will be able to last, nor will harmony and
happiness be attained in a society that ignores, pushes to the
margins or excludes a part of itself. A society of that kind simply
impoverishes itself, it loses something essential. We must never,
never allow the throwaway culture to enter our hearts! We must never
allow the throwaway culture to enter our hearts, because we are
brothers and sisters. No one is disposable! Let us always remember
this: only when we are able to share do we become truly rich;
everything that is shared is multiplied! Think of the multiplication
of the loaves by Jesus! The measure of the greatness of a society is
found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing
apart from their poverty!”
The
Pope affirmed that “the Church wishes to offer her support for
every initiative that can signify genuine development for every
person and for the whole person” and remarked that “there is also
a deeper hunger, the hunger for a happiness that only God can
satisfy, the hunger for dignity. There is neither real promotion of
the common good nor real human development when there is ignorance of
the fundamental pillars that govern a nation, its non-material goods:
life, which is a gift of God, a value always to be protected and
promoted; the family, the foundation of coexistence and a remedy
against social fragmentation; integral education, which cannot be
reduced to the mere transmission of information for purposes of
generating profit; health, which must seek the integral well-being of
the person, including the spiritual dimension, essential for human
balance and healthy coexistence; security, in the conviction that
violence can be overcome only by changing human hearts”.
The
Holy Father then addressed the young, who, he said, are often
“disappointed by facts that speak of corruption on the part of
people who put their own interests before the common good”, and
urged, “never yield to discouragement, do not lose trust, do not
allow your hope to be extinguished. Situations can change, people can
change. Be the first to seek to bring good, do not grow accustomed to
evil, but defeat it with good.
He
concluded by reminding all of those present that “You are not
alone, the Church is with you, the Pope is with you. I carry each of
you in my heart and I make my own the intentions that you carry deep
within you: thanksgiving for joys, pleas for help in times of
difficulty, a desire for consolation in times of grief and
suffering”. He entrusted this to the intercession of Our Lady of
Aparecida, Mother of all the poor of Brazil, and imparted his
blessing.
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