Pope Francis denounced today the large number of poor that generates "the folly of war" what causes "the displacement of thousands of people, especially boys and girls, to uproot them and impose another identity".
In his message to the VI World Day of the Poorwhich the Catholic Church celebrates on November 13 and which was published today, the pope said that when it was believed that the pandemic was coming out, "showing signs of economic recovery that would bring relief to millions of people impoverished by job loss (…) a new catastrophe has appeared on the horizon, destined to impose a different scenario on the world".
"The war in Ukraine was added to the regional wars that in these years are bringing death and destruction. But here the picture is more complex due to the direct intervention of a superpower, which intends to impose its will against the principle of self-determination of peoples", denounced. The pope stressed that "scenes of tragic memory are repeated and once again the reciprocal blackmail of some powerful silences the voice of humanity that invokes peace".
"How many poor people are generated by the senselessness of war! Wherever you look, you can see how violence affects the defenseless and the weakest. Deportation of thousands of people, especially children, to uproot them and impose another identity", denounced. He recalled the help that many countries have given by welcoming millions of refugees from the wars in the Middle East, in Central Africa and now in Ukraine, but noted that "the longer the conflict lasts, the more its consequences worsen. It is becoming more and more difficult for the host peoples to give continuity to the aid". Therefore, he encouraged "don’t give in" Already "renew the initial motivation" well "Solidarity, in fact, is precisely this: sharing what little we have with those who have nothing, so that no one suffers". Pope critical that some Christians "due to an excessive attachment to money, they get bogged down in the misuse of assets and heritage and are situations that manifest a weak faith and a weak and short-sighted hope". Although he pointed out that "the problem is not money itself, because it is part of people’s daily life and social relationships. Rather, what we should reflect on is the value that money has for us: it cannot become an absolute, as if it were the main purpose" because this prevents "see the needs of others". The pope rejected that you have to have "welfare behavior towards the poor, as is often the case" and I advocate instead "make an effort so that no one lacks what is necessary. It is not activism that saves, but the sincere and generous attention that allows us to approach a poor person like a brother who extends his hand so that I wake up from the lethargy in which I have fallen". And he emphasized that "no one should say that they stay away from the poor because their life choices imply paying more attention to other matters" well "this is a frequent excuse in academic, business or professional, and even ecclesial environments".