The Caritas of the Diocese of St. Pölten said goodbye to Pope Francis with great grief. Like no other, the first Pope from Latin America put the social concerns in the center of his pontificate before him. His death means a deep cut – not only for the Catholic Church, but also for all people who work for everyone worldwide, solidarity and a dignified life for everyone.
Pope Francis has emphasized a church with emphasis and authenticity, “who is poor and lives for the poor”. In his vision of a solidarity church, he left no doubt that Christianity is inextricably linked to the use for the weakest, excluded and threatened. Caritas St. Pölten sees itself deeply strengthened in this attitude.
“We could feel completely supported in our daily work by this Pope,” emphasizes Hannes Ziselsberger, Caritas director in the Diocese of St. Pölten. “Francis has connected social and ecological questions with a prophetic force and brought the focus back – not as an abstract ideal, but in its concrete reality, with names, history, dignity. continue – as a order to us, as a consolation, as an orientation. “
A central sign of his commitment was the introduction of the world day of the poor, which Pope Francis launched in 2016. Every year he reminded with impressive messages how quickly people are pushed to the edge – and how necessary it is to counter them with dignity, respect and real care. “It is not the task of Christians to think about the poor, but to share them with them and be close to them,” emphasized Francis 2017.
Since then, Caritas St. Pölten has celebrated the traditional Elisabeth Sunday in November in a new depth and solidarity – in the spirit of the world day of the poor.
Pope Francis has also set a clear accent in the inner church: he gave the specific service to others – especially the weaker – equivalent to the liturgical celebrations. His message was clear: prayer and lived charity belong together.
Francis’ connection with social issues was also pioneering. In the encyclical “Lauato Si ‘”, he systematically linked the concern for creation with the social question for the first time – and urged the destructive consequences of an exploitation based on exploitation.
“This economy kills,” he wrote in “Evangelii Gaudium”, and criticized a system that sacrifices the weakest and destroys the planet.
In a world that is becoming more and more aligned with the rich and strong ones, Francis was an unwavering reminder for a family of solidarity. His words kept reminding us that real change only happens through encounter – at eye level, in the serious of the other, in parts of life.
The Caritas St. Pölten says goodbye to a Pope with gratitude, the effect of which will extend far beyond his term.
“We wish Pope Francis that he has now arrived in God’s loving hug,” says Hannes Ziselsberger, “and that he can now experience the mercy of God, which was at the center of his thinking and work.”
His death must not mean an end. The Caritas St. Pölten hopes that Pope Francis’s pontificate will be understood as an order to a church that continues to recognize its program in solidarity with the poor and excluded and act in the sibling community of the global family of humanity.