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.
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