Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santiago de Chile (Agenzia Fides) – With slogans such as “Listening works wonders.”; “Listen to others as you would have them listen to you”; “Listen with your heart,” Solidarity Month began in Chile on July 29, 2008 with a celebration held at the Padre Hurtado Shrine. The event was attended by: Fr. Rodrigo Tupper, Vicar of Social-Pastoral and Workers Ministry; the chaplain of the “Hogar de Cristo,” Fr. Augustin Moreira; the rector of the Shrine, Father Juan Carlos Bussenius, and Karen Fredes of the service team of “Esperanza Joven” (Youth Hope).
Fr. Rodrigo Tupper, recalling that August is the month of solidarity and the month of Saint Alberto Hurtado, made an appeal to “all those running in elections for mayor and council members” that “more than speaking, they may listen to the people.” Karen Fredes, of “Esperanza Joven,” mentioned the importance of listening to others. “Communication is not only with words, but through a gaze, a gesture, and we should be sensitive to perceiving what it is others want to tell us. If you listen to me, I will listen to you. That is how we can form a society of dialogue, solidarity, and peace,” she said.
The chaplain of the “Hogar de Cristo,” Fr. Agustin Moreira affirmed that “listening helps us to understand others, love others.” He also presented Mary, the Mother of God as the example of a woman that knows how to listen. In the New Testament, there are very few passages that refer to her speaking. Yet, “we see in her a person who knew how to listen with a profound spirit and no one can say that Mary did not know how to love.” The priest also explained that one of the great evils of the 21st century is that of not knowing how to love, “not knowing how to put ourselves in the others’ shoes, not knowing how to dialogue and communicate, which leads to an immense solitude. Listening is another way of loving and thus, creates a fraternal society.”
Lastly, Fr. Rodrigo Tupper said that a facebook group has been created to extend the “listening” campaign.
The Solidarity Month is being sponsored by various institutions. Among them are: Archdiocese of Santiago, Caritas Chile, Caritas Santiago, DAS Nacional, the Bishops’ Conference, Fundación Padre Hurtado, Social-Pastoral and Workers Ministry, Education Vicariate, “Esperanza Joven,” and University Campus Ministry.
There will be various events including: Youth Solidarity (August 15), Solidarity Day (18); Solidarity Caravan of Fr. Hurtado (August 21); 6th Encounter of Social-Pastoral Ministers “Towards a culture of solidarity” (August 23); Solidarity Walk (August 23); Social Weeks (August 14-28); 3rd National Congress on Education in Solidarity (August 28) (RG) (Agenzia Fides 31/7/2008)
