VOL. 149 (CXLIX) NO. 21 Kolkata
MAY 24 - 30, 2013
Pope Francis insists Church must help poor,
not ‘speak of theology’
By Philip Pullella
Vatican
City: Pope Francis shared personal moments with 200,000 people on Saturday,
telling them he sometimes nods off while praying at the end of a long day and
that it “breaks my heart” that the death of a homeless person is not news
Francis, who has made straight talk and simplicity a hallmark
of his papacy, made his unscripted comments in answers to questions by four
people at a huge international gathering of Catholic associations in St Peter’s
Square.
But he outdid himself in
passionately discussing everything from the memory of his grandmother to his
decision to become a priest, from political corruption to his worries about a
Church that too often closes in on itself instead of looking outward.
“If we step outside of ourselves,
we will find poverty,” he said, repeating his call for Catholics to do more to
seek out those on the fringes of society who need help the most,” he said from
the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica
“Today, and it breaks my heart to
say it, finding a homeless person who has died of cold, is not news. Today, the
news is scandals, that is news, but the many children who don’t have food -
that’s not news. This is grave. We can’t rest easy while things are this way.”
The crowd, most of whom are
already involved in charity work, interrupted him often with applause.
“We cannot become starched Christians, too
polite, who speak of theology calmly over tea. We have to become courageous
Christians and seek out those (who need help most),” he said.
To laughter from the crowd, he described how
he prays each day before an altar before going to bed.
“Sometimes I doze off, the fatigue of the day
makes you fall asleep, but he (God) understands,” he said.
CRISIS
OF VALUES
Francis,
the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, said the world was going
through not just an economic crisis but a crisis of values.
“This is
happening today. If investments in banks fall, it is a tragedy and people say
‘what are we going to do?’ but if people die of hunger, have nothing to eat or
suffer from poor health, that’s nothing. This is our crisis today. A Church
that is poor and for the poor has to fight this mentality,” he said.
Many in
the crowd planned to stay in the square overnight to pray and prepare for
Francis’ Mass on Sunday, when the Catholic Church marks Pentecost, the day it
teaches that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles.
On May 18,
Saturday morning, Francis met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed
Europe’s economic crisis.
Apparently
responding to his criticism of a heartless “dictatorship of the economy”
earlier in the week, Merkel, who is up for re-election in September, later
called for stronger regulation of financial markets.
On May 16,
Thursday, Francis appealed in a speech for world financial reform, saying the
global economic crisis had made life worse for millions in rich and poor
countries.
Very exiting and encouraging news from the Holy Father who speaks up against preaching theology but not helping the poor.A very good advice for all of us especially ultra-traditional Catholics and clergy.What Pope Francis says should have been the standard teaching of the Church over the years.It is a pity the Church has deviated so drastically from the real path of Jesus - caring for the poor instead of being preoccupied with theology.
Let us in our own small ways follow the Holy Father in helping the marginalized in our society and not be preoccupied with theology as to the poor and destitute theology has no meaning but charity is all they need.
