By Francesca Merlo
Pope Francis on September 20th visited the headquarters of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development for the event “Planting a Flag Against Dehumanization”. Awaiting him were representatives of Popular Movements, marking the tenth anniversary of the first World Meeting of Popular Movements (WMPM) with the Pope, held in Rome in 2014. The “Meeting,” a space for brotherhood among grassroots organizations from five continents, promotes the culture of encounter in support of the “3Ts” (Techo, Tierra, Trabajo – Housing, Land, Work), aiming to dialogue and reflect on the journey since 2014 to address today’s challenges in favor of social justice and peace in our common home.
The Pope delivered a long speech, spoken in Spanish with many ad-lib parts, in which he addressed social justice, called for care for the most vulnerable—elderly, children, and the poor—and emphasized the value of “com-passion,” meaning to “suffer with” others, to stand alongside them, and to be the voice of the voiceless.
He called on the wealthy to share their resources, reminding them:
“Wealth is made to be shared, to create and promote fraternity.”
The Pope stressed that “without love, we are nothing” and that all relationships should be founded on this love, as justice must be pursued without violence, as exemplified by the widow in the Gospel.
Pope Francis highlighted a central theme from his Evangelii Gaudium: the need to address the problems of the poor by rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation. He pointed out that “we all depend on the poor, even the rich.”
The Pope acknowledged that some criticize him for speaking more about the poor than the middle class, but he reaffirmed that the Gospel places the poor at the center.
He warned that if there are no just policies ensuring access to land, housing, and fair wages, “the logic of material and human waste will spread, paving the way for violence and desolation.”
“Unfortunately,” he added, “it is often the wealthiest who oppose the realization of social justice or integral ecology, out of pure greed.”
This greed is often masked by ideology but, according to the Pope, it is the same avarice that pressures governments to support harmful policies.
The Pope expressed hope that economically powerful individuals would come out of isolation, “reject the false security of money, and embrace the sharing of goods,” which he described as having a universal destiny, stemming from Creation itself.
He emphasized that wealth must be shared “not as alms,” but “fraternally.” He urged the Popular Movements to demand this change, noting that a “perverse view of reality” exalts the accumulation of wealth as a virtue, when in fact, it is a vice.
“Accumulation is not virtuous. Distribution is. Jesus did not accumulate; He multiplied,” the Pope recalled, referencing Christ’s teachings on not storing up treasures on earth but in heaven.
The Pope denounced the unchecked competition for wealth as “a destructive force, leading to perdition,” calling it “irresponsible, immoral, and irrational.” This greed, he said, divides humanity and destroys creation.
He urged leaders to heed the “cry of the excluded,” which has the power to awaken the consciences of political leaders responsible for enforcing economic, social, and cultural rights. These rights, he noted, are recognized by most nations and by the United Nations, yet they remain unfulfilled in the socio-economic reality.
“Unchecked competition for wealth is a destructive force, leading to perdition.”
Justice, the Pope explained, must be accompanied by compassion, which means “to suffer with others, sharing in their feelings.” Compassion is not giving charity from a position of privilege but approaching others with empathy and solidarity.
“True compassion builds unity and the beauty of the world,” Pope Francis said.
He also condemned the “culture of winners,” which is an aspect of the “culture of waste.” This practice, often based on exploiting people or nature, or benefiting from financial speculation, tax evasion, or organized crime, leads some to arrogantly despise so-called “losers.”
The Pope warned that this attitude of “looking down on others with indifference or contempt” fuels violence.
“The silence in the face of injustice opens the way to social division, social division opens the way to verbal violence, verbal violence opens the way to physical violence, and physical violence to war,” he emphasized.
A call for love
Pope Francis concluded by affirming the need for love in every aspect of life. He cited his recent visit to a school for disabled children in Dili, Timor-Leste, saying, “Without love, none of this would make sense.”
He reminded the Popular Movements that “social justice and integral ecology can only be understood through love.”
“Social justice and integral ecology can only be understood through love.”
The Pope warned that the pursuit of self-interest and individualism leads to a form of “social Darwinism,” where the law of the strongest justifies indifference and cruelty.
He referred to this as coming from the Evil One, and encouraged the Popular Movements to resist any attempt to erase cultural memory or identity, symbolized by his reference to “crocodiles” who seek to devour the values of communities.
Pope Francis expressed concern about the rise of organized crime, which thrives on poverty and exclusion. He called for the continued fight against the criminal economy through the popular economy, stressing that no child or person should be a commodity in the hands of “merchants of death.”
In closing, Pope Francis renewed his call for a Universal Basic Income to ensure that in the era of automation and artificial intelligence, no one is deprived of basic necessities. He emphasized that this is not just “compassion” but “strict justice.”
Finally, the Pope shared his personal hope for future generations: “How I wish that the new generations may find a much better world than the one we have received.”
And he concluded with a message of hope: “Hope is the weakest virtue, but it never disappoints.”
