Prot. N. 00761/15
Dear brother Ministers,
In recent months, almost daily, our
eyes have seen desperate images, even images of death, and we have heard news
that tells us the stories of men, women, and children who are fleeing from the
countries they come from, pushed by war, by poverty, carrying in their hearts
the hope for a better future. These brothers and sisters have made long and
dangerous travels, directed principally toward the countries of Europe; they
have found dangers, rejection, violence, and death. Already we have lost count
of how many lives the Mediterranean Sea has swallowed up in the efforts of
people trying to cross from northern Africa. These voyages, organized by
unscrupulous persons who demand enormous sums of money, are made on old boats
or on insecure rubber rafts that are normally crowded beyond the limits of
reasonable safety. We have seen the bodies of adults and children floating
lifelessly in the water, men and women hurting themselves as they cross
barriers of barbed wire, long lines of human beings walking on European roads
as they look for work, stability, and peace. In the midst of this dramatic
exodus, many people have kept alive the flame of the hope for solidarity. The governments
of various countries are organizing plans for a dignified welcome.
Pope Francis has often used very
strong expressions that I hope have moved each of us, in order to move us to
have a welcoming and sympathetic heart toward the immigrants and refugees. At
times his words have raised up reactions of hostility, of criticism rooted in
egoism and racism. But the gravest sin into which we can all fall is
indifference! It’s just like the priest and the Levite of the parable of the
Good Samaritan: faced with a wounded man they passed by on the other side. In
these months I have often thought of chapter 25 of the gospel of Matthew, where
Jesus speaks of the final judgment. In verses 34 to 40 Jesus speaks of a
concrete love, incarnate; he speaks of people who are fed, given to drink,
visited, consoled, welcomed: I was a
stranger and you welcomed me (Mt 35:35). It is important for our faith that
the words of Jesus descend into our hearts: Truly
I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did
it to me. (Mt 25:40) I want to thank you, Ministers and all the friars of
the Order for all the times you have made concrete the words of Jesus, with the
works of charity and solidarity with which we Capuchin Friars Minor have written
and continue to write wonderful pages to the glory of God.
The exodus of peoples looks to our
vocation as minors, to our charity, to our creative concreteness in its ability
to make adequate responses. Pope Francis in the Angelus of this past September
6 said, “Faced with the tragedy of tens
of thousands of refugees who flee death from war and hunger, and who have begun
a journey moved by hope for survival, the Gospel calls us to be “neighbours” of
the smallest and the abandoned, and to give them concrete hope. It’s not enough
to say, “Take heart. Be patient”.... Christian hope has a fighting spirit, with
the tenacity of one who goes toward a sure goal…May every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every
shrine of Europe welcome one family, beginning with my Diocese of Rome.”
I am convinced that in many
fraternities and in parishes entrusted to our friars there are already many
initiatives in place that are responding to this invitation of the Pope. Let us
feel strongly called by this request and together let us try to give an
adequate and coordinated response. In this regard I have asked Br. Benedict
Ayodi, Secretary of our Office of Justice, Peace, and the Care of Creation to
convoke a meeting at which I myself will be present. Concretely I ask the
Provincial Ministers, Custodes, and Delegates of all of Europe to appoint a
representative that our pastoral, social, and charitable service can give a
valid contribution in this area. Representatives from Eritrea, Turkey, and
Lebanon are also warmly invited. For the Italian provinces I ask that four
representatives be appointed for the north, central, south, and Sicily,
respectively.
The meeting will be held at Frascati
and is planned from supper on October 15 to lunch on the 17. Br. Benedict will
be sending you further details about the event.
I ask you to send this letter to all
the friars of your circumscriptions.
I thank you ahead of time for the
effort and cooperation that you will give me in carrying out this meeting.
Fraternally
in the Lord,
Rome, 15 September 2015
Br. Mauro Jöhri
General Minister OFM Cap.
General Minister OFM Cap.
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