In an interview published February 28, 2017, Pope Francis spoke about what it means to care for and be present to the people in our communities – whether they are widows, orphans, migrants, or the homeless – and why this is important.
“It is very tiring to wear the shoes of others,” he said, “because often we are slaves of our selfishness. On one level we can say that people prefer to mind their own problems without wanting to see the suffering or the difficulty of another.”
“There is another level, however. To wear the shoes of others means to have a great capacity to comprehend, to understand the circumstances and the difficult situations.”
We all need understanding, companionship, and advice, the Pope noted. This is why even though it is difficult, we should try to put ourselves in another’s place and to understand what they are going through. To do so means to perform acts of service with humility and magnanimity.
In the case of migrants and refugees, Francis said that they are fleeing wars or famines that are often in part our fault, because we have exploited their land but not invested in it in a helpful way.
“They have the right to emigrate and are entitled to be welcomed and helped,” he said.
Regarding how many migrants a country should accept, he said that governmental leaders should practice the virtue of prudence: accommodating, in regards to numbers, however many they reasonably can.
It can be even more important, however, to not just reflect on how many we can accept, but how we will help them integrate into their new country, the Pope said, continuing his recent emphasis on the importance of integration for migrants.
“To integrate means to enter the life of the country, respect the laws of the country, respect the culture of the country but also to enforce their own culture and their own cultural riches,” hesaid. “Integration is a very difficult job.”
“Each country then has to see what number it can accommodate. It cannot be upheld if there is no possibility of integration.”
Like migrants, “integration” is something we should also try to achieve for the poor and homeless, he said. This is why we must do more than simply “toss the poor only some change.”
“Certainly it is not easy to integrate a homeless person, because each of them has a special story. For this we have to get close to each other, find ways to help them and give them a hand. It is always right to help, even more so to look into the person’s eyes and touch their hands while we do so.”
“There are many arguments to justify yourself when you do not give alms,” he acknowledged, “such as the question of whether the person will spend the money on alcohol.”
“Rather than worrying about this, ask yourself what you do in secret? What ‘happiness’ do you search for in secret?” the Pope advised.
This report was done by Hannah Brockhaus the Catholic News Agency’s senior Vatican correspondent.
What do YOU do in secret? What ‘happiness’ do YOU search for in secret?
PLEASE KEEP POPE FRANCIS IN YOUR PRAYERS TODAY. THAT IS ALL HE ASKS OF YOU AND ME.
IT IS USUALLY IN THE SEASONS OF SILENCE THAT GOD IS PREPARING YOU FOR SOMETHING GREAT!
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