“To give to each his own, to cite the classic definition of justice, means that no human individual or group can consider itself absolute, permitted to bypass the dignity and the rights of other individuals or their social groupings.” – Pope Francis
LIKE millions of Catholics, I find myself glued to the television this week, watching Pope Francis visit the United States of America and hearing him speak to the whole world, not as a political leader, but as a true shepherd and the Vicar of Christ on earth. And I must admit that I am so proud of our Holy Father and my Catholic Christian faith.
Pope Francis is finally gaining back the moral authority of the Catholic Church through his words and actions. His speeches speak to the entire humanity. His clamor to promote the dignity of every human person, to foster human fraternity and to work together to protect the environment speaks to the hearts of citizens of this world. Without a doubt, his genuine concern for the poor and weak members of the society and his credible acts of simplicity, mercy and charity have inspired not only Christians but non-believers as well.
“To give to each his own, to cite the classic definition of justice, means that no human individual or group can consider itself absolute, permitted to bypass the dignity and the rights of other individuals or their social groupings,” he said in his speech to the United Nations.
To this remark, the U.N. delegates gave him a loud and long applause. “Our world demands of all government leaders a will which is effective, practical and constant, concrete steps and immediate measures for preserving and improving the natural environment and thus putting an end as quickly as possible to the phenomenon of social and economic exclusion, with its baneful consequences: human trafficking, the marketing of human organs and tissues, the sexual exploitation of boys and girls, slave labour, including prostitution, the drug and weapon trade, terrorism and international organized crime,” the pope delineated. Again loud applauses came from all the attendees of the 70th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
The Holy Father has been clear about his mission in his journey to the United States. As he said in his speech to the US Congress, he came to enter into a dialogue with leaders and citizens of the free and brave country of the United States of America. “I would like to enter into dialogue with the many elderly persons who are a storehouse of wisdom forged by experience, and who seek in many ways, especially through volunteer work, to share their stories and their insights. I know that many of them are retired, but still active; they keep working to build up this land. I also want to dialogue with all those young people who are working to realize their great and noble aspirations, who are not led astray by facile proposals, and who face difficult situations, often as a result of immaturity on the part of many adults. I wish to dialogue with all of you, and I would like to do so through the historical memory of your people,” the pope stated.
Even his speech to the US Bishops focused on this theme of dialogue. “Dialogue is our method, not as a shrewd strategy but out of fidelity to the One who never wearies of visiting the marketplace, even at the eleventh hour, to propose his offer of love (Mt 20:1-16)…The path ahead then is dialogue among yourselves, dialogue in your presbyterates, dialogue with lay persons, dialogue with families, dialogue with society. I cannot ever tire of encouraging you to dialogue fearlessly,” he told the US Bishops.
Pope Francis’s emphasis on entering into dialogue with one another as habitants of this earth, our “common home,” connects well to the Gospel Reading of this 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. When John was alarmed at seeing someone driving out demons in the name of Jesus, he complained to Jesus. To his surprise, Jesus responded, saying, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:38-43).
Implicit in this remark of Jesus is a call to affirm other people who may not share our religion but are doing good works for humanity. Implicit in his words is his summon to us his to enter into dialogue with all people to work for the common good.
“I pray to Almighty God that this will be the case, and I assure you of my support and my prayers, and the support of all the faithful of the Catholic Church, that this Institution, all its member States, and each of its officials, will always render an effective service to mankind, a service respectful of diversity and capable of bringing out, for the sake of the common good, the best in each people and in every individual,” Pope Francis concluded during his address to the United Nations.
Like Pope Francis, may we never get tired of walking on the path of dialogue with all people! After all, we are all children of God and inhabitants of this “common home”, journeying to our final home with our Creator in heaven!
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From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
