Pope Francis says "We cannot live with an economic pattern that comes from...communism. We need a Christian economy, let's put it this way." to Global Solidarity Fund
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ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
TO THE DELEGATION OF THE GLOBAL SOLIDARITY FUND
Room adjacent to Paul VI Audience Hall
Wednesday, 25 May 2022
Off-the-cuff speech of Pope Francis to the executives of the Global Solidarity Fund
There is this prepared speech: it is not necessary for me to say it again. You carry it in your pocket, then you see it.
I thank you for this meeting, because I like it when people are right on the borders, in the suburbs. Simply because Jesus went to the peripheries: He went there to show the Gospel. The peripheries, both of the body and of the soul; because there are people who are a little wealthy but have their souls destroyed, torn: go with them too; many people who need closeness.
Because closeness is God's style. He himself says it: "Which people has divinity as close as I am with you?", In Deuteronomy (chap. 4). For this reason, those religious expressions - whether they are of religious congregations, whether they are Christians who break away to keep the faith - is a re-edition of the most ancient Pharisaism. Because they want to have a clean soul, but with this attitude perhaps they will have a clean soul, but their hearts are dirty with selfishness. Instead, going to the suburbs, going to find the people who don't count, the discarded of society - because we are living the culture of waste, and people are thrown away - going there is just what Jesus did.
Then, with migrants: you named the four steps: welcoming, accompanying, promoting and integrating. With migrants, take this path of integration into society. It is not a charity work, with migrants, to leave them there. No. It is taking them and integrating them, with education, with job placement, with all these things. I am reminded of the tragedy of Zaventem - this I often say - the Belgian airport: that tragedy was carried out by young Belgians, but children of immigrants, not integrated, ghettoized. Because an unintegrated migrant is halfway, halfway, and dangerous. It's dangerous for him, poor fellow, because he'll always be a beggar. It is also dangerous for everyone. To integrate, not to have migrants like a pebble in your shoes, which is annoying.
But to understand migrants, we have to see ourselves: most of us are children or grandchildren of migrants. Many! I am the son of migrants. Once, one of the United States told me: "But no, we are not migrants, we are already rooted here!" - “Do not lose your memory: you are a people of migrants, Irish migrants and Italian migrants. The Irish have brought you the whiskey and the Italians have brought you the mafia ”. Always look at the roots. Then, look at Europe: Europe was made up of migrants; and today, for serious development, Europe needs migrants. There is a demographic winter, where there are no children, where the future is narrower every time: let those good people come, but they must be integrated! Integrate it. And for this I thank you so much for what you do with them. It is not alms, no, it is brotherhood.
Then, your title: also looking for a new type of economy. The economy must be converted, it must be converted now. We need to move from the liberal economy to the economy shared by the people, to the community economy. And enough work is being done on this with young economists, including women. For example, in America, there is Mazzucato who has just taken a step forward in thinking about the economy, and other very talented women. We cannot live with an economic pattern that comes from the liberals and the Enlightenment. Nor can we live with an economy pattern that comes from communism. We need ... a Christian economy, let's put it this way. Look for the new expressions of the economy of this time: I mentioned Mazzucato who is the daughter of migrants in the United States, but there are others. In England there is another woman, and there are also men who are thinking of an economy more rooted in the people.
These are the things that I can think of to tell you to get out of the formality of this speech. Go ahead, get your hands dirty. Take risks. And look at the many suburbs: Southeast Asia, part of Africa, part of Latin America. Many suburbs, many, which wound the heart. And thanks for your work! And pray for me, please. But pray for, not against! Thanks.
Now I give you the blessing: God bless you all, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit._____________________________________________________
Dear brother, Cardinal Tomasi,
Dear friends,
I am pleased to meet with you once again and to see the progress that you are making.
Your name, Global Solidarity Fund, is centred on a key word: solidarity, a core value of the social doctrine of the Church. Yet in order to make this word a reality, it needs to be accompanied by closeness and compassion for others, for people who are marginalized and for the faces of the poor and migrants.
The composition of the group that represents the Global Solidarity Fund here today is revealing: you belong to very different sectors of society, yet you work together to create a more inclusive economy, giving rise to integration and employment for migrants in a spirit of listening and encounter. This is a courageous path!
I thank you for the gifts you brought me from the migrants who are participating in your programmes in Colombia and Ethiopia. I bless each of you and your work. I encourage you to move forward in your commitment to support migrants and the most vulnerable by sharing your talents. And please remember to pray for me.
TO THE DELEGATION OF THE GLOBAL SOLIDARITY FUND
Room adjacent to Paul VI Audience Hall
Wednesday, 25 May 2022
Off-the-cuff speech of Pope Francis to the executives of the Global Solidarity Fund
There is this prepared speech: it is not necessary for me to say it again. You carry it in your pocket, then you see it.
I thank you for this meeting, because I like it when people are right on the borders, in the suburbs. Simply because Jesus went to the peripheries: He went there to show the Gospel. The peripheries, both of the body and of the soul; because there are people who are a little wealthy but have their souls destroyed, torn: go with them too; many people who need closeness.
Because closeness is God's style. He himself says it: "Which people has divinity as close as I am with you?", In Deuteronomy (chap. 4). For this reason, those religious expressions - whether they are of religious congregations, whether they are Christians who break away to keep the faith - is a re-edition of the most ancient Pharisaism. Because they want to have a clean soul, but with this attitude perhaps they will have a clean soul, but their hearts are dirty with selfishness. Instead, going to the suburbs, going to find the people who don't count, the discarded of society - because we are living the culture of waste, and people are thrown away - going there is just what Jesus did.
Then, with migrants: you named the four steps: welcoming, accompanying, promoting and integrating. With migrants, take this path of integration into society. It is not a charity work, with migrants, to leave them there. No. It is taking them and integrating them, with education, with job placement, with all these things. I am reminded of the tragedy of Zaventem - this I often say - the Belgian airport: that tragedy was carried out by young Belgians, but children of immigrants, not integrated, ghettoized. Because an unintegrated migrant is halfway, halfway, and dangerous. It's dangerous for him, poor fellow, because he'll always be a beggar. It is also dangerous for everyone. To integrate, not to have migrants like a pebble in your shoes, which is annoying.
But to understand migrants, we have to see ourselves: most of us are children or grandchildren of migrants. Many! I am the son of migrants. Once, one of the United States told me: "But no, we are not migrants, we are already rooted here!" - “Do not lose your memory: you are a people of migrants, Irish migrants and Italian migrants. The Irish have brought you the whiskey and the Italians have brought you the mafia ”. Always look at the roots. Then, look at Europe: Europe was made up of migrants; and today, for serious development, Europe needs migrants. There is a demographic winter, where there are no children, where the future is narrower every time: let those good people come, but they must be integrated! Integrate it. And for this I thank you so much for what you do with them. It is not alms, no, it is brotherhood.
Then, your title: also looking for a new type of economy. The economy must be converted, it must be converted now. We need to move from the liberal economy to the economy shared by the people, to the community economy. And enough work is being done on this with young economists, including women. For example, in America, there is Mazzucato who has just taken a step forward in thinking about the economy, and other very talented women. We cannot live with an economic pattern that comes from the liberals and the Enlightenment. Nor can we live with an economy pattern that comes from communism. We need ... a Christian economy, let's put it this way. Look for the new expressions of the economy of this time: I mentioned Mazzucato who is the daughter of migrants in the United States, but there are others. In England there is another woman, and there are also men who are thinking of an economy more rooted in the people.
These are the things that I can think of to tell you to get out of the formality of this speech. Go ahead, get your hands dirty. Take risks. And look at the many suburbs: Southeast Asia, part of Africa, part of Latin America. Many suburbs, many, which wound the heart. And thanks for your work! And pray for me, please. But pray for, not against! Thanks.
Now I give you the blessing: God bless you all, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit._____________________________________________________
Dear brother, Cardinal Tomasi,
Dear friends,
I am pleased to meet with you once again and to see the progress that you are making.
Your name, Global Solidarity Fund, is centred on a key word: solidarity, a core value of the social doctrine of the Church. Yet in order to make this word a reality, it needs to be accompanied by closeness and compassion for others, for people who are marginalized and for the faces of the poor and migrants.
The composition of the group that represents the Global Solidarity Fund here today is revealing: you belong to very different sectors of society, yet you work together to create a more inclusive economy, giving rise to integration and employment for migrants in a spirit of listening and encounter. This is a courageous path!
I thank you for the gifts you brought me from the migrants who are participating in your programmes in Colombia and Ethiopia. I bless each of you and your work. I encourage you to move forward in your commitment to support migrants and the most vulnerable by sharing your talents. And please remember to pray for me.
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