Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - A little more than six months ago, Pope Francis wrote a letter to the popular movements around the world at a time "of so much anguish and difficulties" following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this text, Francis denounced that the most humble and defenseless workers "had been excluded from the benefits of globalization" but not from its damage: "the evils that afflict everyone hit you twice". As a result, he encouraged them to continue their struggle for land, housing and work. The Pope stressed that it was time to achieve a universal salary for those who cannot work and "resist" the impact of this health, socio-environmental and economic crisis, to give dignity "with the noble and irreplaceable tasks that they exercise; capable of guaranteeing and applying this very human and Christian slogan: no worker without rights". At the end of the letter, the Pope invited us to reflect with him "on the project of integral human development to which we aspire" for the post-crisis period.
In this context, the popular movements and the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development have convened a dialogue meeting, Saturday 24 October, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (local time in Rome), via videoconference, which will be broadcast live on social media. There will be three themes for reflection. The first will focus on the post-pandemic envisaged according to the tripple key land, housing and work. A second reflection will focus on Pope Francis' latest encyclical "Fratelli Tutti" from the point of view of popular movements. The third theme will concern the contribution of popular movements to " Francis’ Economy", an event scheduled for the month of November.
During the meeting there will be spaces to share the actions that popular movements are currently developing during the pandemic. In addition, the complete educational project of the Latin American University of the Suburbs (ULPe) will also be presented. The meeting will be attended by Cardinal Michael Czerny and Cardinal Peter Turkson, respectively Undersecretary and Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, as well as a delegation of popular movements made up of members of the Unión de Trabajadores de la Economía Popular - UTEP (Argentina), La Vía Campesina (Brazil), Slum Dwellers (India) and the World Movement of Christian Workers (MMTC). Previous World Meetings of Popular Movements were held in Rome (2014), Bolivia (2015) and Rome (2016). (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 21/10/2020)
ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Stop the spread of gambling in Negros Oriental: civil society protects the lives of young people
ASIA/PAKISTAN - Punjab Province: Catholic lawyer is human rights minister
AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Almost 30 years after the end of apartheid, social inequalities threaten the national reconciliation process
ASIA/PHILIPPINES - A new ecclesial service to support social cooperatives, a tool for development and the fight against poverty
ASIA/HOLY LAND - Father Ibrahim Faltas: War also darkens the future of Christians in the Land of Jesus
VATICAN - Pope Francis to Catholics in the Holy Land: in these bleak times, participate in the Passion of Christ and bear witness that "the crucified Lord rose from the dead"