In his
Little Fiat, and as he goes around addressing the US Congress and the American
people as well as the United Nations and the world, POPE FRANCIS’ words take
the moral equivalent of papal decrees with the virtual force and effect of
“legislative fiats”.
In his
Little Fiat, his actions also send messages that are virtually equivalent to
the moral force and effect of law. Just by riding in his Little Fiat, POPE
FRANCIS displays humility and simplicity; preference for gas-saving and less
expensive vehicles; the need to protect the environment; the desire to save in
order to help the poor, feed the hungry, and provide homes for the homeless.
I collected some of Pope Francis’ Words of Wisdom during his visit to the US.To
many Catholics they are considered virtual Papal Fiats. I thought of sharing
them with our readers.
POPE FRANCIS > American Legislators
and Leaders
"A nation can be
considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a
culture which enables people to "dream" of full rights for all their
brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for
justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless
work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative
style of Thomas Merton."
Quoting THOMAS JEFFERSON: "We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness."
POPE FRANCIS: "If politics must truly be at the
service of the human person, it follows that it cannot be a slave to the
economy and finance. Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need
to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a
community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice
and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life. I do not underestimate
the difficulty that this involves, but I encourage you in this effort."
POPE FRANCIS > US CONGRESS
"Today
I would like not only to address you, but through you the entire people of the
United States. Here, together with their representatives, I would like to take
this opportunity to dialogue with the many thousands of men and women who
strive each day to do an honest day's work, to bring home their daily bread, to
save money and — one step at a time — to build a better life for their
families. These are men and women who are not concerned simply with paying their
taxes, but in their own quiet way sustain the life of society. They generate
solidarity by their actions, and they create organizations which offer a
helping hand to those most in need."
POPE FRANCIS: "I am happy that America
continues to be, for many, a land of "dreams." Dreams which lead to
action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest
and truest in the life of a people.
In recent
centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of
building a future in freedom. We, the people of this continent, are not fearful
of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. I say this to you as
the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from
immigrants."
POPE FRANCIS > UNITED NATIONS
"Solemn
commitments, however, are not enough, even though they are a necessary step
toward solutions. The classic definition of justice which I mentioned earlier
contains as one of its essential elements a constant and perpetual will:
Iustitia est constans et perpetua voluntas ius sum cuique tribuendi. Our world
demands of all government leaders a will which is effective, practical and
constant, concrete steps and immediate measures for preserving and improving
the natural environment and thus putting an end as quickly as possible to the
phenomenon of social and economic exclusion, with its baneful consequences:
human trafficking, the marketing of human organs and tissues, the sexual
exploitation of boys and girls, slave labour, including prostitution, the drug
and weapons trade, terrorism and international organized crime. Such is the
magnitude of these situations and their toll in innocent lives, that we must
avoid every temptation to fall into a declarationist nominalism which would
assuage our consciences. We need to ensure that our institutions are truly
effective in the struggle against all these scourges."
POPE FRANCIS at the 9/11 Memorial
Interfaith Service:
"Here,
amid pain and grief, we also have a palpable sense of the heroic goodness which
people are capable of, those hidden reserves of strength from which we can
draw. In the depths of pain and suffering, you also witnessed the heights of
generosity and service. Hands reached out, lives were given. In a metropolis
which might seem impersonal, faceless, lonely, you demonstrated the powerful
solidarity born of mutual support, love and self-sacrifice. No one thought
about race, nationality, neighborhoods, religion or politics. It was all about solidarity,
meeting immediate needs, brotherhood. It was about being brothers and sisters.
New York City firemen walked into the crumbling towers, with no concern for
their own well-being. Many succumbed; their sacrifice enabled great numbers to
be saved."
"This
place of death became a place of life too, a place of saved lives, a hymn to
the triumph of life over the prophets of destruction and death, to goodness
over evil, to reconciliation and unity over hatred and division."
POPE FRANCIS at the Memorial Interfaith
Service
"It is
a source of great hope that in this place of sorrow and remembrance I can join
with leaders representing the many religious traditions which enrich the life
of this great city. I trust that our presence together will be a powerful sign
of our shared desire to be a force for reconciliation, peace and justice in
this community and throughout the world. For all our differences and
disagreements, we can live in a world of peace. In opposing every attempt to
create a rigid uniformity, we can and must build unity on the basis of our
diversity of languages, cultures and religions, and lift our voices against
everything which would stand in the way of such unity. Together we are called
to say “no” to every attempt to impose uniformity and “yes” to a diversity
accepted and reconciled."
POPE FRANCIS (At the Independence Mall
in Philly):
"One of
the highlights of my visit is to stand here, before Independence Mall, the
birthplace of the United States of America. It was here that the freedoms which
define this country were first proclaimed. The Declaration of Independence
stated that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienable rights, and that governments exist to protect
and defend those rights. Those ringing words continue to inspire us today, even
as they have inspired peoples throughout the world to fight for the freedom to
live in accordance with their dignity.
But history
also shows that these or any truths must constantly be reaffirmed,
re-appropriated and defended. The history of this nation is also the tale of a
constant effort, lasting to our own day, to embody those lofty principles in
social and political life. We remember the great struggles which led to the
abolition of slavery, the extension of voting rights, the growth of the labor
movement, and the gradual effort to eliminate every kind of racism and
prejudice directed at successive waves of new Americans. This shows that, when
a country is determined to remain true to its founding principles, based on
respect for human dignity, it is strengthened and renewed."
POPE FRANCIS (On remembering one's
history):
"All of
us benefit from remembering our past. A people which remembers does not repeat
past errors; instead, it looks with confidence to the challenges of the present
and the future. Remembrance saves a people's soul from whatever or whoever
would attempt to dominate it or use it for their interests. When individuals
and communities are guaranteed the effective exercise of their rights, they are
not only free to realize their potential, they also contribute to the welfare
and enrichment of society."
POPE FRANCIS (On religious freedom):
"Religious
freedom certainly means the right to worship God, individually and in community,
as our consciences dictate. But religious liberty, by its nature, transcends
places of worship and the private sphere of individuals and families.
Our various
religious traditions serve society primarily by the message they proclaim. They
call individuals and communities to worship God, the source of all life,
liberty and happiness. They remind us of the transcendent dimension of human
existence and our irreducible freedom in the face of every claim to absolute
power. We need but look at history, especially the history of the last century,
to see the atrocities perpetrated by systems which claimed to build one or
another "earthly paradise" by dominating peoples, subjecting them to
apparently indisputable principles and denying them any kind of rights. Our
rich religious traditions seek to offer meaning and direction, "they have
an enduring power to open new horizons, to stimulate thought, to expand the
mind and heart" (Evangelii Gaudium, 256). They call to conversion,
reconciliation, concern for the future of society, self-sacrifice in the
service of the common good, and compassion for those in need. At the heart of
their spiritual mission is the proclamation of the truth and dignity of the
human person and human rights."
POPE FRANCIS quoting SAINT JOHN PAUL II
(During his visit in the US in 1987):
"The ultimate test of your greatness is
the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most
defenseless ones" (Farewell Address, 19 September 1987, 3).
POPE FRANCIS (To the Hispanics and recent
immigrants in the US):
"Among us
today are members of America's large Hispanic population, as well as
representatives of recent immigrants to the United States. I greet all of you
with particular affection! Many of you have emigrated to this country at great
personal cost, but in the hope of building a new life. Do not be discouraged by
whatever challenges and hardships you face. I ask you not to forget that, like
those who came here before you, you bring many gifts to your new nation. You
should never be ashamed of your traditions. Do not forget the lessons you
learned from your elders, which are something you can bring to enrich the life
of this American land. I repeat, do not be ashamed of what is part of you, your
life blood. You are also called to be responsible citizens, and to contribute
fruitfully to the life of the communities in which you live. I think in
particular of the vibrant faith which so many of you possess, the deep sense of
family life and all those other values which you have inherited. By
contributing your gifts, you will not only find your place here, you will help
to renew society from within."
