Pope Francis says "Our world, we know, is marked by conflicts and divisions, and your testimony as peacemakers, as intercessors for peace, is more necessary and precious than ever."
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SPEECH OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
TO THE CHRISTIAN ITALIAN WORKERS ASSOCIATIONS (ACLI)
ON THE EIGHTY ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDATION
Paul VI Hall - Saturday, June 1, 2024
Pope Francis on Saturday met with the Christian Associations of Italian Workers (ACLI) as they celebrate the 80th anniversary of their foundation in 1944. Addressing some 6,000 members of the organization in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope warmly commended their decades-long commitment to solidarity in the service of workers, pensioners, young people, migrants and all the people in need, but also of the cause of peace.
TO THE CHRISTIAN ITALIAN WORKERS ASSOCIATIONS (ACLI)
ON THE EIGHTY ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDATION
Paul VI Hall - Saturday, June 1, 2024
Pope Francis on Saturday met with the Christian Associations of Italian Workers (ACLI) as they celebrate the 80th anniversary of their foundation in 1944. Addressing some 6,000 members of the organization in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope warmly commended their decades-long commitment to solidarity in the service of workers, pensioners, young people, migrants and all the people in need, but also of the cause of peace.
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Dear brothers and sisters of ACLI!
I am happy to welcome you as you are celebrating your 80th anniversary. It is a long and rich history, a testament to your commitment and dedication to community service. Being eighty you are a little younger than me, but your journey is very significant; and this anniversary is a good opportunity to reread your history, with its joys and difficult moments, and to express gratitude. I thank with you the Lord who has accompanied and supported you along this path, also inspiring many people who, through the ACLI, have dedicated their lives to the service of workers, pensioners, young people, foreigners and many who find themselves in situations of need. The ACLI are a place where it is possible to meet "saints next door", who do not end up on the front pages of the newspapers, but sometimes they actually change things, for the good!
This history is a heritage from which to draw vital energy to look forward with hope and determination. In it we find the values that inspired your founders and that generations of aclists have embodied over the years, through an important presence in society. In this regard, today I would like to focus on five characteristics of this style of yours, which I believe are fundamental for your path.
The first is the popular style. It's not just about being close to the people, but about being and feeling part of the people. It means living and sharing the daily joys and challenges of the community, learning from the values and wisdom of simple people. A popular style implies recognizing that great social projects and lasting transformations arise from below, from shared commitment and collective dreams. But the true essence of the people lies in solidarity and a sense of belonging. In the context of a fragmented society and an individualistic culture, we have a great need for places where people can experience this creative and dynamic sense of belonging, which helps to move from I to we, to develop projects for the common good together and to find ways and ways to achieve them. This is the vocation of your "circles": to open doors, keep them open, welcome people, allow them to build bonds of solidarity and a sense of belonging, to embark together on a path of integration that develops «a culture of meeting in a pluriform harmony" (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 220).
Second characteristic: the synodal style. Working together, collaborating for the common good is fundamental. This synodal style is witnessed by the presence of people who belong to different cultural, social, political and even ecclesial horizons, and who are here with you today. But it is also a style that structurally belongs to you because, as your President wrote when introducing you, you are a collection of "multiform and restless" associations. This is beautiful: you are multifaceted and restless, and this is a beautiful thing. This is beautiful: the variety and restlessness - in a positive sense - which helps you walk together and also mix with the other forces of society, networking and promoting shared projects. I ask you to do this more and more and to pay attention to those who are weak in society, so that no one is left behind.
The third characteristic: a democratic style. Loyalty to democracy has always been a distinctive feature of the ACLI. Today we need it so much. Democratic is that society in which there really is a place for everyone, in reality and not just in declarations and on paper. This is why the lot of work you do is important, especially to support those who risk marginalization: young people, for whom professional training initiatives are aimed in particular; women, who often continue to suffer forms of discrimination and inequality; the most fragile workers and migrants, who in the ACLI find someone capable of helping them obtain respect for their rights; and finally the elderly and pensioners, who too easily find themselves "discarded" by society, and this is an injustice. You provide these people with an important service, which must not only remain within the scope of assistance, but promote the dignity of each person and the possibility that everyone can make their own resources and contribution available.
Fourth: a peaceful style, that is, of peacemakers. In a world bloodied by so many wars, I know I share with you the commitment and prayer for peace. This is why I say to you: the ACLI are the voice of a culture of peace, a space in which to affirm that war is never "inevitable" while peace is always possible; and that this applies both in relations between States and in the life of families, communities and in the workplace. Cardinal Martini, during a prayer vigil for peace, emphasized the ability to "intercede", that is, to place oneself between the contenders, placing a hand on the shoulder of both and accepting the risk that this entails (A cry of intercession , January 29, 1991). He builds peace who knows how to take a position clearly, but at the same time strives to build bridges, to listen and understand the different parties involved, promoting dialogue and reconciliation. Interceding for peace is something that goes far beyond simple political compromise, because it requires getting involved and taking a risk. Our world, we know, is marked by conflicts and divisions, and your testimony as peacemakers, as intercessors for peace, is more necessary and precious than ever.
Finally, a Christian style. I mention it last not as an appendix, but because it is the synthesis and root of the other aspects we have talked about. Who can we look to to understand what it means to be a peacemaker to the fullest, if not to the Lord Jesus? Where can we find inspiration and strength to welcome everyone, if not in the life of Jesus? Assuming a Christian style, then, means not only providing that there is a moment of prayer in our meetings: this is fine, but we must do more; assuming a Christian style means growing in familiarity with the Lord and in the spirit of the Gospel, so that it can permeate everything we do and our action has the style of Christ and makes him present in the world. In particular, in the face of cultural visions that risk canceling out the beauty of human dignity and tearing apart society, I invite you to cultivate "a new dream of fraternity and social friendship that is not limited to words" (Encyclical letter Fratelli all, 6). It is the dream of Saint Francis of Assisi and of many other saints, of many Christians, of many believers of every faith. Brothers and sisters, may it be your dream too!
Dear friends of the ACLI, I thank you for your commitment and urge you to carry it forward with courage. May the Holy Spirit continue to make your work fruitful and guide you in serving the community. Forward with joy and hope! I bless you from the bottom of my heart. Please don't forget to pray for me. Thank you.
Dear brothers and sisters of ACLI!
I am happy to welcome you as you are celebrating your 80th anniversary. It is a long and rich history, a testament to your commitment and dedication to community service. Being eighty you are a little younger than me, but your journey is very significant; and this anniversary is a good opportunity to reread your history, with its joys and difficult moments, and to express gratitude. I thank with you the Lord who has accompanied and supported you along this path, also inspiring many people who, through the ACLI, have dedicated their lives to the service of workers, pensioners, young people, foreigners and many who find themselves in situations of need. The ACLI are a place where it is possible to meet "saints next door", who do not end up on the front pages of the newspapers, but sometimes they actually change things, for the good!
This history is a heritage from which to draw vital energy to look forward with hope and determination. In it we find the values that inspired your founders and that generations of aclists have embodied over the years, through an important presence in society. In this regard, today I would like to focus on five characteristics of this style of yours, which I believe are fundamental for your path.
The first is the popular style. It's not just about being close to the people, but about being and feeling part of the people. It means living and sharing the daily joys and challenges of the community, learning from the values and wisdom of simple people. A popular style implies recognizing that great social projects and lasting transformations arise from below, from shared commitment and collective dreams. But the true essence of the people lies in solidarity and a sense of belonging. In the context of a fragmented society and an individualistic culture, we have a great need for places where people can experience this creative and dynamic sense of belonging, which helps to move from I to we, to develop projects for the common good together and to find ways and ways to achieve them. This is the vocation of your "circles": to open doors, keep them open, welcome people, allow them to build bonds of solidarity and a sense of belonging, to embark together on a path of integration that develops «a culture of meeting in a pluriform harmony" (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 220).
Second characteristic: the synodal style. Working together, collaborating for the common good is fundamental. This synodal style is witnessed by the presence of people who belong to different cultural, social, political and even ecclesial horizons, and who are here with you today. But it is also a style that structurally belongs to you because, as your President wrote when introducing you, you are a collection of "multiform and restless" associations. This is beautiful: you are multifaceted and restless, and this is a beautiful thing. This is beautiful: the variety and restlessness - in a positive sense - which helps you walk together and also mix with the other forces of society, networking and promoting shared projects. I ask you to do this more and more and to pay attention to those who are weak in society, so that no one is left behind.
The third characteristic: a democratic style. Loyalty to democracy has always been a distinctive feature of the ACLI. Today we need it so much. Democratic is that society in which there really is a place for everyone, in reality and not just in declarations and on paper. This is why the lot of work you do is important, especially to support those who risk marginalization: young people, for whom professional training initiatives are aimed in particular; women, who often continue to suffer forms of discrimination and inequality; the most fragile workers and migrants, who in the ACLI find someone capable of helping them obtain respect for their rights; and finally the elderly and pensioners, who too easily find themselves "discarded" by society, and this is an injustice. You provide these people with an important service, which must not only remain within the scope of assistance, but promote the dignity of each person and the possibility that everyone can make their own resources and contribution available.
Fourth: a peaceful style, that is, of peacemakers. In a world bloodied by so many wars, I know I share with you the commitment and prayer for peace. This is why I say to you: the ACLI are the voice of a culture of peace, a space in which to affirm that war is never "inevitable" while peace is always possible; and that this applies both in relations between States and in the life of families, communities and in the workplace. Cardinal Martini, during a prayer vigil for peace, emphasized the ability to "intercede", that is, to place oneself between the contenders, placing a hand on the shoulder of both and accepting the risk that this entails (A cry of intercession , January 29, 1991). He builds peace who knows how to take a position clearly, but at the same time strives to build bridges, to listen and understand the different parties involved, promoting dialogue and reconciliation. Interceding for peace is something that goes far beyond simple political compromise, because it requires getting involved and taking a risk. Our world, we know, is marked by conflicts and divisions, and your testimony as peacemakers, as intercessors for peace, is more necessary and precious than ever.
Finally, a Christian style. I mention it last not as an appendix, but because it is the synthesis and root of the other aspects we have talked about. Who can we look to to understand what it means to be a peacemaker to the fullest, if not to the Lord Jesus? Where can we find inspiration and strength to welcome everyone, if not in the life of Jesus? Assuming a Christian style, then, means not only providing that there is a moment of prayer in our meetings: this is fine, but we must do more; assuming a Christian style means growing in familiarity with the Lord and in the spirit of the Gospel, so that it can permeate everything we do and our action has the style of Christ and makes him present in the world. In particular, in the face of cultural visions that risk canceling out the beauty of human dignity and tearing apart society, I invite you to cultivate "a new dream of fraternity and social friendship that is not limited to words" (Encyclical letter Fratelli all, 6). It is the dream of Saint Francis of Assisi and of many other saints, of many Christians, of many believers of every faith. Brothers and sisters, may it be your dream too!
Dear friends of the ACLI, I thank you for your commitment and urge you to carry it forward with courage. May the Holy Spirit continue to make your work fruitful and guide you in serving the community. Forward with joy and hope! I bless you from the bottom of my heart. Please don't forget to pray for me. Thank you.
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