At the press conference this morning to present Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Peace on January 1, the fundamental questions for looking to the future were heard. What have we learned from the pandemic, what can we do to build a better future for a world marked by inequality, hunger and conflict, especially the war in Ukraine? From the Pope – it has been said – comes the call to “put the word at the center”.
Adriana Masotti – Vatican City
Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Development, and Sister Alessandra Smerilli, Secretary of the same Dicastery, present Pope Francis’ Message for the 56th World Day of Peace, observed on January 1, 2023. in the Aula San Pío X. The speaker, singer, writer and theater actress Simone Cristicchi also took part, while the Peruvian economist of the FAO, Dr. Máximo Torero, participated in the press conference via video message.
A church at the service of the world
The theme of the message is: “No one can be saved alone. Starting anew from Covid-19 to walk paths of peace together”, and pandemic and war with their dramatic consequences return to interventions. In the first moments of the pandemic, Cardinal Michael Czerny, opening the conference, reiterated that “the world was under enormous tension”, one was not ready to face an event like this, in this context, Pope Francis wished “that The Church is at the service of the world to help all of us, “as one human family, as companions who share the same flesh, as children of the same land that is our common home.” Hence the creation of the Vatican Commission Covid -19 Now, the prefect continued, we are looking ahead, the commission “has finished its work and the ministries involved will summarize their concerns”.
What have we learned from Covid?
The message summarizes today’s concerns by asking numerous questions: “What have we learned from Covid? What lessons can we learn from this moment of crisis? What signs of life and hope can we pick up on? Vision of humanity and society for the future? What are, Cardinal Czerny concludes, the lessons of the Covid era in relation to peace? the center”.
Health, work and nutrition “for all”
Sr. Alessandra Smerilli continues the Cardinal’s reflections, recalling the expression often repeated by the Pope: “One does not come out of a crisis in the same way: one comes out better or worse.” It is therefore time, to ask ourselves as individuals and as a community: are we better or worse three years later? The Integral Human Development Service will work as the Commission has worked, that is, in listening and in direct dialogue with the churches and local realities of each continent, and in collaboration with other organizations and departments”. And he announced the promotion of a new working group “Catholic Response For Ukraine” (CR4U), which brings together numerous Catholic actors committed to supporting the Ukrainian people. “In fact, Pope Francis asked us to be ‘specific’,” says Smerilli, ” and we will try to continue on this path”, according to the priorities he indicated: health, work and nutrition, with an emphasis: “for everyone”.
Let’s put “the whole” back in focus
In the video message, Máximo Torero, food security expert, emphasizes how “the fundamental right that helps us all not to starve is under threat today as never before”. The causes are many, but the truth is that “828 million people went hungry in 2021, an increase of 150 million more than in 2019 before the outbreak of the pandemic, and the latest projections show that in 2030 more than 670 million people might still not have enough to eat. He then stresses that there is “enough food in the world to feed everyone” but what is missing “is the ability to buy the food that is available because of the high levels of poverty and inequality” caused by the Covid First and the war in Ukraine have since increased. “The seriousness of the situation requires a comprehensive approach to tackling the problem of hunger,” says Torero, “we must understand that we cannot face the immense challenges we face today unless we act in a spirit of brotherhood and solidarity. ” And the economist echoes the words of Pope Francis, who reaffirms that we must put “the whole” at the center of our interests, concluding: “Let’s put the “whole” back at the center and learn from today’s crises to build a world better tomorrow”.
Attention, humility and care: the three words of the message
The conference ended with a moving artistic contribution by Simone Criticchi, who explained why he had taken part in the presentation of the Pope’s message. I believe that art can become a powerful megaphone to convey messages as important as Francisco’s,” he affirms, “especially music. As a composer,” he continues, “I feel a great responsibility towards this instrument. And he says: “During the pandemic, I thought a lot about the topic of happiness and identified three keywords in the Pope’s text. The first is attention, which means “to turn my soul, to get out of myself, out of the prison of my ego, to see that others exist too”. It’s a word for starting over: to be alert and to care microcosm in which I live”. The second word is humility: “Humility is feeling like a field,” he says, “and only when I’m like this, in a state of total openness, can I receive the gifts that anyone can bring me, I can of learn from everyone and thank everyone.
“Caution” is the third word identified by Criticchi and is central to the pope’s message. There’s an emptiness inherent in every human being, he observes, and “from the moment we’re thrown into the world, we search for that sense of fulfillment that can be found through love.” The word care is also at the heart of his song: “Take care of me,” which he sings at the end of the conference, “a sort of universal love prayer, a plea for help, a declaration of fragility that each one can interpret and feel as one’s own.” “. A prayer from men to God, he concludes, but perhaps also from God to mankind, for God “needs us to complete His work”.
“Life is the only miracle you can’t stop believing in. And there is no other day like yesterday. So live it now like it’s your last. Take care of me The only way, it’s the only engine. It is the divine spark that you keep in your heart. Take care of me until the last day I can breathe.”
(From the lyrics of the song “Take care of me”).