蜜桃交友

By Lisa Zengarini

Addressing a group of representatives of some charities in Kinshasa's Apostolic Nunciature on Wednesday, Pope Francis praised their work which, he said, is like a forest silently growing and bearing fruit, amid the 鈥渘oise鈥� of ongoing violence and injustice.

The six charities

Attending the meeting were operators and beneficiaries of six charitable organizations and institutions who described their experiences and presented their activities in the fields of healthcare, education, and human development for the poor and marginalized. These included people affected by various types of disabilities, by Hansen鈥檚 disease and other illnesses.

Among them, the DREAM Center (Disease Relief through Excellent and Advanced Means) of the Community of Sant鈥橢gidio, the Fasta Association, an Argentinan-based humanitarian organization, whose objective is the social promotion and inclusion of marginalized people through integral formation and community participation, and 鈥淭elema Ongenge鈥�, a local association supporting disabled people to improve their life conditions. Also present were the Trappist nuns of Our Lady of Mvanda, in Kikwit.

Pope Francis meeting people assisted by the charities he met in the Nuntiature

Embracing the poor, people with names and faces

Pope Francis commended their work, remarking that the testimonies didn鈥檛 simply list social problems or statistics on poverty, 鈥渂ut more importantly spoke with affection about the poor鈥�, people 鈥渨ith names and faces鈥�, whom Christians, 鈥渃annot turn their backs on鈥�.

Poverty an offence against human beings

Noting that the media unfortunately don鈥檛 give much space to the 鈥渋mmense talents鈥� and stories 鈥渙f true human and Christian grandeur鈥� in the DRC, and  Africa as a whole, Pope Francis said that by meeting them he wants to give 鈥渧oice鈥� to this reality and to the suffering of the many men and women, enduring violence, abuse, discrimination and marginalization in the country.

鈥淧overty and rejection are an offence against human beings, robbing them of their dignity鈥�, the Pope reiterated. 鈥淥nly by restoring dignity do we restore humanity鈥�.

He added that he was also saddened to learn that in the DRC too, children and the elderly are discarded saying that this is scandalous as they represent the roots and future of every society.

Goodness spreads

Pope Francis went telling those present that, despite difficulties, their arduous work is worth their while, as proven by their stories, showing that 鈥済oodness spreads鈥� and 鈥渋s not paralyzed by resignation or statistics, but impels us to give others what we ourselves freely received鈥�.

鈥淵oung people in particular need to see this鈥�, he stressed. 鈥淭hey 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 raise them back up to their dignity, the dignity of a daughter and son of God鈥�.

Christians must never sully the witness of charity

Pope Francis further insisted, that while the responsibility of healthcare and education and of caring for the most vulnerable, lies primarily with the State, 鈥渂elievers in Christ must never sully the witness of charity鈥�, and therefore must 鈥渟hare what they have with those who lack the bare necessities鈥�, remembering that 鈥渨hat causes poverty is not so much the absence of goods and opportunities, but their unequal distribution鈥�.  

This, he emphasized, 鈥渋s not philanthropy, but faith鈥� for 鈥渁s Scripture says, 鈥榝aith without works is dead鈥�.鈥�

Pope Francis recalled that for Christian charity to become an ever more fruitful form of witness of Jesus鈥� love for the poor, three criteria must be followed by Catholic charities. The first is 鈥渟etting an example鈥�, by being credible and transparent in managing their finances and being competent.

Making the poor self-reliant

The second criterion is that of 鈥渉aving foresight鈥�, which is not just providing for the immediate needs of the poor, but looking to the long term, promoting development projects that allow them to become self-sufficient in the future, which is what the Church in DRC and many other parts of the world is doing through its welfare services.

Networking for the poor

Finally, the third criterion recalled by Pope Francis for Christian charity to be fruitful and effective, is that of Catholic organizations being connected, networking together and cooperating with each other, and with Christian communities, other religions, and humanitarian organizations 鈥渨ithout remaining isolated or self-referential鈥�.

Concluding Pope Francis blessed the Catholic charities in DRC and once again thanked them for their precious work:  鈥淵ou are a great treasure鈥�, he said.