This morning, after having celebrated a private Mass in the Sumaré Residence, the Holy Father, Pope Francis travelled by car to the City Palace in Rio de Janeiro, where the offices of the Mayor of the city are found.
The Pope arrived at 9:45, and was welcomed at the
entrance of the Palace by the Mayor, the Honorable Eduardo Paes. Crossing the central hall, the Holy Father
was welcomed by some athletes, particularly representative of Brazilian sport. Then, the Holy Father appeared on the
balcony, where the Mayor presented him with the keys to the city. Remaining on the balcony, Pope Francis then
blessed the official flags of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, displayed in
the artistic garden. In addition to the 2014
World Cup, Brazil will also host the XXXI edition of the summer Olympics in
2016. Young athletes representing all
the various sporting events were present for the blessing of the flags.
Speech
of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
on the occasion of the blessing of Olympic
Flags
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning!
Good morning!
It is wonderful to be here with you! It is wonderful!
From the start, my wish in planning this visit to Brazil was to be able to
visit every district throughout the nation. I would have liked to knock on
every door, to say good morning, to
ask for a glass of cold water, to take a cafezinho - coffee - not a
glass of grappa! – to speak as one would to family friends, to listen to each
person pouring out his or her heart – parents, children, grandparents ... But
Brazil is so vast! It is impossible to knock on every door! So I chose to come
here, to visit your community, this community, which today stands for every
district in Brazil. How wonderful it is to be welcomed with such love,
generosity, and joy! One need only look at the way you have decorated the
streets of the community; this is a further mark of affection, it comes from
your heart, from the heart of all Brazilians in a festive mood. Many thanks to
each of you for this kind welcome! And I thank Rangler and Joana for their kind
words.
From the moment I first set foot on Brazilian soil, right
up to this meeting here with you, I have been made to feel welcome. And it is
important to be able to make people welcome; this is something even more
beautiful than any kind of ornament or decoration. I say this because when we
are generous in welcoming people and sharing something with them – some food, a
place in our homes, our time – not only do we no longer remain poor: we are
enriched. I am well aware that when someone needing food knocks at your door,
you always find a way of sharing food; as the proverb says, one can always add more water to the beans! Is it
possible to add more water to the beans? … Always? … And you do so with love,
demonstrating that true riches consist not in material things, but in the
heart!
And the Brazilian people, particularly the humblest among
you, can offer the world a valuable lesson in solidarity; this word solidarity
is too often forgotten or silenced, because it is uncomfortable. It almost
seems like a bad word … solidarity. I would like to make an appeal to those in
possession of greater resources, to public authorities and to all people of
good will who are working for social justice: never tire of working for a more
just world, marked by greater solidarity! No one can remain insensitive to the
inequalities that persist in the world! Everybody, according to his or her
particular opportunities and responsibilities, should be able to make a
personal contribution to putting an end to so many social injustices. The
culture of selfishness and individualism that often prevails in our society is
not, I repeat, not what builds up and leads to a more habitable world: rather,
it is the culture of solidarity that does so; the culture of solidarity means
seeing others not as rivals or statistics, but brothers and sisters. And we are
all brothers and sisters!
I would like to encourage the efforts that Brazilian
society is making to integrate all its members, including those who suffer most
and are in greatest need, through the fight against hunger and deprivation. No
amount of peace-building will be able
to last, nor will harmony and happiness be attained in a society that ignores,
pushes to the margins or excludes a part of itself. A society of that kind
simply impoverishes itself, it loses something essential. We must never, never
allow the throwaway culture to enter our hearts! We must never allow the
throwaway culture to enter our hearts, because we are brothers and sisters. No
one is disposable! Let us always remember this: only when we are able to share
do we become truly rich; everything that is shared is multiplied! Think of the
multiplication of the loaves by Jesus! The measure of the greatness of a
society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing
apart from their poverty!
I would also like to tell you that the Church, the advocate of justice and defender of the poor
in the face of intolerable social and economic inequalities which cry to heaven
(Aparecida Document, 395), wishes to offer her support for every
initiative that can signify genuine development for every person and for the
whole person. Dear friends, it is certainly necessary to give bread to the
hungry – this is an act of justice. But there is also a deeper hunger, the
hunger for a happiness that only God can satisfy, the hunger for dignity. There
is neither real promotion of the common good nor real human development when
there is ignorance of the fundamental pillars that govern a nation, its
non-material goods: life, which is a gift of God, a value always to be
protected and promoted; the family, the foundation of coexistence and a
remedy against social fragmentation; integral education, which cannot be
reduced to the mere transmission of information for purposes of generating
profit; health, which must seek the integral well-being of the person,
including the spiritual dimension, essential for human balance and healthy
coexistence; security, in the conviction that violence can be overcome
only by changing human hearts.
I would like to add one final point, one final point.
Here, as in the whole of Brazil, there are many young people. You young people,
my dear young friends, you have a particular sensitivity towards injustice, but
you are often disappointed by facts that speak of corruption on the part of
people who put their own interests before the common good. To you and to all, I
repeat: never yield to discouragement, do not lose trust, do not allow your
hope to be extinguished. Situations can change, people can change. Be the first
to seek to bring good, do not grow accustomed to evil, but defeat it with good.
The Church is with you, bringing you the precious good of faith, bringing Jesus
Christ, who came that they may have life
and have it abundantly (Jn 10:10).
Today, to all of you, especially to the residents of this
Community of Varginha, I say: you are not alone, the Church is with you, the
Pope is with you. I carry each of you in my heart and I make my own the
intentions that you carry deep within you: thanksgiving for joys, pleas for
help in times of difficulty, a desire for consolation in times of grief and
suffering. I entrust all this to the intercession of Our Lady of Aparecida,
Mother of all the poor of Brazil, and with great affection I impart my
blessing. Thank you!
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