Habemus Papam!

vatican.va

"A social sin that cries out to Heaven!"

These words of the new Pope Francis 1st, elected yesterday by the conclave of 115 cardinals, were spoken in 2007, in an address to Latin American Bishops. He used these words to describe the effect of economic inequality and unjust distribution of the world's goods, and its effect on Latin-American society.
Pope Francis (formerly known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio) hails from Argentina, a country in which a large proportion of the population suffer from abject poverty despite economic growth. This new Pope, therefore, is a man who is keenly aware of the social inequalities that arise from poverty and unjust political and economic systems. The first Pope to come from a non-European country since 741AD, and the first Jesuit Pope, he is sure to bring a new ideas and priorities to the papacy, as well as a less Eurocentric perspective, perhaps.

While his stance on issues such as homosexuality, abortion and contraception may not differ greatly from those of his predecessors, he is likely to have a much sharper focus on issues of social justice and peace. In his first Mass as Supreme Pontiff today, he reminded the faithful in his homily:

"We can build many things, but if we do not confess Jesus Christ, nothing will avail. We will become a pitiful NGO, but not the Church, the Bride of Christ. When one does not walk, one stalls. When one does not built on solid rocks, what happens? What happens is what happens to children on the beach when they make sandcastles: everything collapses, it is without consistency."

For those of us who are involved in the charitable outreach of the SVP, these words are a stark reminder that our good deeds are primarily motivated by a faith in Jesus Christ. Although Blessed Frederick Ozanam was inspired by the words of a man in the crowds urging him to "Show us your works", Pope Francis urges us to reflect upon these works through the eyes of faith.

Faith and Works

The SVP is currently devoting a lot of time to homeless outreach, as well as going through the painstaking processes of applying for grants and going through meetings and paperwork in order to be able to have a food bank up and running within the next few months. These time-consuming tasks are crucially important for the welfare of people around us in situations of dire poverty and economic hardship.

However, it is all too easy to get carried up in the practical aspects of charity work, and whilst it is undeniable that these works are incredibly important, it is vital also to remember why we are doing these works - and whose service we are in. Ultimately, as our new Pope has highlighted, without faith our works are nothing more than the secular works of a Non-Governmental Organisation. Although as a charity, the SVP is open to members of all faiths and none, we are ultimately a group with a Christian  background and ethos - one that strives to see the face of Christ in the poor.

Let us take up the challenge of Pope Francis, and learn to see the works that we do for the poor through eyes of Faith.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA3WUgFhcXQ