Pope Francis

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if APRIL 18, 2021 anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is TERHAD the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours PP 8460/11/2012(030939) ISSN: 1394-3294 only but also for the sins of the whole world. Vol. 28 No. 14 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. FOR INTERNAL CIRCULATION ONLY THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY 1 John 2:1-3 Meeting Christ in the poor renews our missionary vigour OME: Pope Francis said that the poverty and exclusion Rfrom the job market caused by the coronavirus pandemic has made the work of Catholic groups that assist poor communities even more urgent. “Going out to meet the wounded and risen Christ in the poorest communities allows us to regain our missionary vigour, because that is how the Church was born, on the periphery of the Cross,” Pope Francis said in a video message released on April 15. “If the Church ignores the poor it ceases to be the Church of Jesus and revives old tempta- tions to become an intellectual or moral elite, a new form of Pelagianism, or like the life of the Essenes.” The Pope sent the video message to partici- pants in the international conference, A Politics Rooted in the People, organised by the London- based Centre for Theology and Community. A file photo of Pope Francis blesses a homeless man at a Night and Day Care Centre for homeless people near St Peter’s Square. (Vatican Media) The event is part of the celebrations mark- of their history, of their destiny, of expressing exploiting them for the purpose of power,” he work and testimony much more urgent and ing the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Cam- themselves with their values and culture, of said. “Contempt for popular culture is the be- necessary,” Pope Francis said. paign for Human Development (CCHD), the their creativity, of their fertility,” the Pope said. ginning of the abuse of power.” “Many of you gathered here have been anti-poverty programme of the US Bishops’ “For this reason, it is impossible for the The Pope also greeted the other conference working for years doing this in the peripher- Conference. Church to separate the promotion of social jus- partners, which include the Caritas Social Ac- ies, and accompanying popular movements. In his message, Pope Francis recognised the tice from the recognition of the values and cul- tion Network, Boston College Law School, Sometimes it can be uncomfortable. Some ac- work of the US bishops’ anti-poverty initia- ture of the people, including the spiritual values the Centre for Catholic Social Thought and cuse you of being too political, others of want- tive in “helping the poorest communities in the that are the source of their sense of dignity.” Practice, the Loyola University’s Institute of ing to impose religion. But you perceive that United States to live with more dignity, pro- The Pope said that politics is regenerated Pastoral Studies, the Katholische Hochschule respecting the people is respecting their institu- moting their participation in the decisions that when the importance of spirituality in people’s für Sozialwesen in Berlin and the Anglo-Irish tions, including religious ones; and that the role affect them.” lives is recognised. province of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. of these institutions is not to impose anything, “When the people are discarded, they are de- “One way to ignore the poor is to despise “The poverty and exclusion from the job but to walk with the people, reminding them of prived not only of material well-being but also their culture, their spiritual values, their reli- market which resulted from this pandemic the face of God that always comes before us,” of the dignity of acting, of being the protagonist gious values, either by discarding them or by which we are experiencing have made your he said. — CNA Filipino child admonishes Duterte for foul language MANILA: A nine-year-old boy has admon- Davao, where he served as mayor before be- People should respect and must be polite watched the president giving speeches on tel- ished Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte coming president, to carry out his orders. with one another, he said. evision on occasions. for swearing while making speeches. (Photo: “It’s not even a crime,” he told foreign digni- “At home, we are told to respect one another. Many Catholics praised the child’s letter. Presidential Communications Office) taries during an Asia Pacific Regional Confer- There are words that we are not allowed to say. “Awareness of what is wrong and correct at Catholics in the Philip- ence in Pasay City in 2019 in which he also Sometimes I hear you [Duterte] on television. this early age … indicates what kind of values pines have praised a nine- said he was “not schooled in statesmanship.” I am shocked at how you curse and badmouth he will have in his future. The next generation year-old boy for writing He has even used profanities when attacking others,” he added. of Filipinos can surely by hopeful because of to Philippine President Catholic Church leaders. His mother explained her son wrote the letter someone like him. I wish there were more Rodrigo Duterte (pic) ad- But a young boy was not convinced that a as part of a school assignment and that she was Skyes in our country to call out erring leaders,” monishing him for cursing president should be cursing and bad-mouthing very surprised when she read it. said Jab Cordero, a Manila parishioner. and swearing in televised people in order to be respected. “He was asked to write a letter to our dear Another doubted whether Duterte would speeches. I hope that you will change your attitude president … Our children are also aware of ever change his ways. Duterte is known for his use of profanities “As president, don’t you think you should be how a good leader should lead a country. God “He will not change. As the saying goes, you even in the presence of foreign dignitaries at a role model for good manners and right con- bless the Philippines,” Skye’s mother told the cannot teach an old dog new tricks. An old dog international conferences. duct? I hope that you will change your attitude. Baguio Chronicle. like him? Next to impossible,” said Geraldine He once said such language was necessary Then maybe I will respect you more,” wrote She also said her son was undergoing home De Leon, a parish worker in Quezon City. — when telling people in the southern city of Skye, a nine-year-old boy from Baguio City. schooling because of the pandemic, so had By Joseph Peter Calleja, ucanews.com 2 FORUM / REFLECTION HERALD April 18, 2021 Suffering in the face of persecution he situation in Myanmar is wor- that they could not continue with the old rying with more than 700 dead as Sunday Observer ways of oppression, divide and rule, and Tmany ordinary people bravely re- marginalisation of so many groups. sist the illegal military coup in Myanmar By He condemned the love of money over despite massacres. the love of God and spoke out against These people, many of them youth, Anil Netto religious hypocrisy and those using re- are living for an ideal. They want to live [email protected] ligion for personal power and wealth. their lives to the full, free of oppressive His message resonated with his time and control. earned the ire of those who felt its sting Many of them — and their families viewed with suspicion, as misfits, social martyred. (siapa makan cili, dia rasa pedas or “if and friends — are paying a heavy price radicals and counter-culturals and were The early Christians, even if they did the shoe fits, wear it). as soldiers with heavy weapons open fire sometimes harshly persecuted. not want martyrdom, knew they sub- He spoke of a kingdom that would on them, mowing down scores with each They refused to conform to Roman scribed to a higher ideal, a different spread like a mustard seed, growing fast passing day. imperial theology, which honoured its standard to worldly values. Many of them and wild, and of a God who loved even The followers of Jesus too faced per- deified emperors and sacrificed to a pan- may have been near the bottom of the so- the poor, the oppressed and those suffer- secution after the Resurrection, first in theon of gods of the empire. Because the cial ladder, but they knew that in God’s ing persecution for the cause of justice. Jerusalem and later elsewhere and then Christians’ worship rituals were often eyes they were special, and that He was Jesus’ message was rejected by those in Rome. held in private and involved terms such deeply concerned about the oppressed. in power, and he was executed on the In the first few centuries in Rome, as “body and blood” and agape (sacrifi- Before Jesus, the prophets had spoken cross. His suffering united him with all Christianity was seen as an alien super- cial love), they were often suspected of out strongly throughout the Old Testa- those around the world who suffer un- stition that had not received proper au- secret immoral worship or even cannibal- ment. The Hebrew word for prophet is justly while others lord it over them or thorisation. Although the Empire and its ism.

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