The Holy Father has sent a message to the President of the Argentinian Episcopal Conference to mark the Bicentenary of the Independence of the Argentinian Republic.
Vatican City
8 July 2016
His Excellency, the Most Reverend
José María Arancedo
Archbishop of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz
President of the Episcopal Conference of Argentina
Buenos Aires
Beloved brother,
On the eve of the celebration of the bicentenary of Independence, I wish to extend a cordial greeting to you, to our brother Bishops, to the national Authorities and to all the Argentinian people. I hope that this celebration will make us stronger in the path chosen by our elders two hundred years ago. With such sentiments, I express to all Argentinians my closeness and the assurance of my prayers.
In a special way, I want to be close to those who suffer most: the sick, those living in poverty, prisoners, those who feel alone, those who are unemployed and forced to spend everything they have on bare necessities, those who are or have been victims of human trafficking and the exploitation of persons, child victims of abuse and the many other young people who suffer the scourge of drugs. They all carry the weight of difficult decisions which are many times limited. These are the most wounded among the children of our country.
Yes, our country's children. In school, we were taught to speak of our Motherland, to love our Motherland. This is precisely where the patriotic sense of belonging is rooted: in love for our Motherland. Argentinians use an expression which is both bold and colourful, when we refer to unscrupulous people: he is capable of selling his mother; but we know and feel deeply in our hearts that our Mother is not sold, she can never be sold ... and even less so our Motherland.
We celebrate two hundred years of the history of our country which, in its desires and concerns for brotherhood, have at times projected beyond the borders of our country: to the Greater Country that Saint Martin and Bolivar dreamed of. This reality has brought us into a family of wide horizons and fraternal loyalty. We pray today for this Greater Country as part of our celebrations: that the Lord may care for her, and that He may always be proud of his daughter and defend her against every type of colonization.
With these two hundred years behind us, we must now keep walking together, looking forward. In order to achieve this, I think - in a special way - of the elderly and the young, and I feel the need to ask for help as we continue making our way toward our destination. To the elderly, the guardians of our past, I ask you to overcome the current throw away culture which has been globally imposed and dare to dream. We need their dreams, their inspiration. To the youth, I ask you not to lose your sense of existence in the midst of bureaucracy with its proposals that are too often lacking in enthusiasm and heroism. I am convinced that our country needs to experience the prophecy of Joel (cf Joel 4:1). Our homeland will only be truly free if our grandparents are encouraged to dream and if our young people are encouraged to prophecy great things. We need grandparents who dream and youth who - inspired by those dreams - are encouraged to run forward with the creativity of prophecy.
Beloved brother, I ask God, our Father and Lord to bless our country, to bless us all; and I ask the Virgin of Luján, as our mother, to protect us on our way. And, I ask you please, do not forget to pray for me.
Fraternally,
Franciscus
Letter of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
on the occasion of the Bicentenary of the
Independence of the Argentinian Republic
Vatican City
8 July 2016
His Excellency, the Most Reverend
José María Arancedo
Archbishop of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz
President of the Episcopal Conference of Argentina
Buenos Aires
Beloved brother,
On the eve of the celebration of the bicentenary of Independence, I wish to extend a cordial greeting to you, to our brother Bishops, to the national Authorities and to all the Argentinian people. I hope that this celebration will make us stronger in the path chosen by our elders two hundred years ago. With such sentiments, I express to all Argentinians my closeness and the assurance of my prayers.
In a special way, I want to be close to those who suffer most: the sick, those living in poverty, prisoners, those who feel alone, those who are unemployed and forced to spend everything they have on bare necessities, those who are or have been victims of human trafficking and the exploitation of persons, child victims of abuse and the many other young people who suffer the scourge of drugs. They all carry the weight of difficult decisions which are many times limited. These are the most wounded among the children of our country.
Yes, our country's children. In school, we were taught to speak of our Motherland, to love our Motherland. This is precisely where the patriotic sense of belonging is rooted: in love for our Motherland. Argentinians use an expression which is both bold and colourful, when we refer to unscrupulous people: he is capable of selling his mother; but we know and feel deeply in our hearts that our Mother is not sold, she can never be sold ... and even less so our Motherland.
We celebrate two hundred years of the history of our country which, in its desires and concerns for brotherhood, have at times projected beyond the borders of our country: to the Greater Country that Saint Martin and Bolivar dreamed of. This reality has brought us into a family of wide horizons and fraternal loyalty. We pray today for this Greater Country as part of our celebrations: that the Lord may care for her, and that He may always be proud of his daughter and defend her against every type of colonization.
With these two hundred years behind us, we must now keep walking together, looking forward. In order to achieve this, I think - in a special way - of the elderly and the young, and I feel the need to ask for help as we continue making our way toward our destination. To the elderly, the guardians of our past, I ask you to overcome the current throw away culture which has been globally imposed and dare to dream. We need their dreams, their inspiration. To the youth, I ask you not to lose your sense of existence in the midst of bureaucracy with its proposals that are too often lacking in enthusiasm and heroism. I am convinced that our country needs to experience the prophecy of Joel (cf Joel 4:1). Our homeland will only be truly free if our grandparents are encouraged to dream and if our young people are encouraged to prophecy great things. We need grandparents who dream and youth who - inspired by those dreams - are encouraged to run forward with the creativity of prophecy.
Beloved brother, I ask God, our Father and Lord to bless our country, to bless us all; and I ask the Virgin of Luján, as our mother, to protect us on our way. And, I ask you please, do not forget to pray for me.
Fraternally,
Franciscus
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