RIO DE JANEIRO: Visiting one of the city’s notorious “favelas”, or slums, Pope Francis denounced corruption and a “culture of selfish-ness and individualism”, and called for a “culture of solidarity” in pursuit of social justice.
Stressing the need to alleviate material suffering, he also said “real human development” required the promotion of moral values, to satisfy a “deeper hunger, the hunger for a happiness that only God can satisfy”.
The July 25 speech was the Pope’s first major statement on social and economic questions during his visit to Brazil, a country that has enjoyed years of strong economic growth but is currently in turmoil over widespread dissatisfaction with government policies.
The Pope arrived at the Rio neighbourhood of Varginha just before 11am and began his visit with a short ceremony in the small neighbourhood chapel, where he blessed the altar before a congregation of more than 100 people.
Afterward, Pope Francis walked through the city’s streets, apparently indifferent to the rain, stopping often to greet many of those crowding tightly around him.
Loud cheers accompanied him as residents reached out for his hand or to take his photo with their cell phones.
At one point, the Pope entered a resident’s house, festooned with balloons in the yellow-and-white colours of the Vatican flag.
In a speech, Pope Francis urged the world’s wealthy, public officials and “all people of good will who are working for social justice” to “never tire of working for a more just world” and greater equality.
He said young people “have a particular sensitivity toward injustice” and were “often disappointed by facts that speak of corruption on the part of people who put their own interests before the common good”.
He urged those opposing injustice and corruption not to “yield to discouragement”.
“Do not lose trust, do not allow your hope to be extinguished. … Do not grow accustomed to evil, but defeat it,” he said.
Echoing a famous revolutionary slogan, Pope Francis said “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”.
But the Pope added that giving “bread to the hungry”, while required by justice, was not enough for human happiness.
“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,” he said.
