Pope Francis to the Papal Foundation that has Donated $200 Million to the Poor "...charitable service, which relies on the goodwill and generosity of so many people around the world." FULL TEXT

Pope Francis meets with the MEMBERS OF THE "PAPAL FOUNDATION"

Since its inception in 1988, the Papa Foundation has allocated 200 million USD in grants and scholarships around the world to more than 2,000 projects selected by Popes Francis and Benedict, and Saint John Paul II. According to its website, it has helped finance the construction of 358 churches and chapels, 170 seminaries, 404 rectories and convents, 273 schools, and 104 hospitals.

In 2023 the Foundation plans to give the Holy See 9.5 million USD to fund 114 grants in 57 countries. It will also provide approximately 4.8 million USD in scholarships and humanitarian aid. (Vatican News)

Hall of the Consistory on Friday, April 21, 2023

SPEECH OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

Eminences, Excellencies,

I am happy to greet you, Members, Administrators and Delegates of the Papal Foundation, and to offer you my best wishes, accompanied by prayer, for your stay in the See of Peter, called by the Lord at the Last Supper, in the presence of others, to to confirm the brethren and to act as a visible sign of unity for the Church (cf. Lk 22:31-32).

This public assignment of responsibility, transmitted to his successors, is shared to varying degrees by all the realities which, directly or indirectly, assist the Pope in carrying out his mission. Being qualified as "papal" - Papal Foundation -, dear brothers and sisters, your Foundation can certainly be counted among them.

In the light of the responsibility for unity entrusted to Peter and to his successors, I would like to underline two aspects of your collaboration in the Pope's mission. The first is the promotion of unity. Unfortunately, we also see in our day how the unity of the Church is wounded by division. And the devil is a specialist in fighting unity, he is a specialist! This is often caused by the influx of ideologies and movements which, while sometimes having good intentions, end up fomenting parties and criticism, where everyone develops a certain superiority complex when it comes to understanding the practice of faith. This is further aggravated by the application of worldly terminology, above all of a political nature, when speaking of the Church and of the faith itself. St. Paul warned the nascent Church against these instruments of division, which speak superficially or completely reject the nature of the Church as a unity in diversity, as a unity without uniformity (cf. 1 Cor 3:1-9; Rom 16 ,17-18). And the One who creates this unity without uniformity, the only one capable of doing it is the Holy Spirit.

Motivated by a sincere faith and a keen desire to help others, Papal Foundation members rise above these partisan divisions and promote unity through the generous funding each year of numerous projects and fellowships that provide vital assistance, without prejudice or discrimination, to our brothers and sisters throughout the world. With gratitude for your witness in this sense, I encourage you to persevere in your particular service to the unity of the universal Church.

The second aspect, recalled by the entrusting of responsibility to Peter and his successors for the unity of the Church, is transparency. Unity and transparency. As you know, in recent years the Holy See has taken significant steps to ensure that the services provided to the universal Church and to society at large by its various Dicasteries, Institutions and Offices are carried out with adequate transparency. This is especially important in charitable service, which relies on the goodwill and generosity of so many people around the world. While not comparable to the immense damage resulting from the failure to protect the most vulnerable from various forms of abuse, financial scandals caused by a lack of vigilance and transparency damage the good name of the Church and can call into question the credibility of the faith itself . In this regard, I thank and appreciate the Papal Foundation for its constant commitment to maintaining adequate transparency measures, so that the funding of scholarships and projects truly benefits those in need and contributes to the building of the Kingdom of God on earth . And nothing remains on the street, or in your pockets.

Dear friends, I once again express my gratitude for all your efforts and I pray that you may be renewed in your zeal to assist the charitable work of the Bishop of Rome, who presides over the whole Church in charity (cf. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Romans , Proem). Thank you, thank you very much! I know that you do this work with joy, gladness. Never lose your sense of humor, never, carry on with this, which is very important. I entrust you, with your families and all those associated with your mission, to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and I bless you from my heart. And I ask you, please, don't forget to pray for me. Thank you!

Source: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2023/04/21/0292/00636.html with Screenshot