Since man’s survival depends on the environment, Pope Francis says we must care for Creation.
The Holy Father gave these words of encouragement to the Movemento Adulti Scout Cattolici Italiani, termed MASCI, who are a group of Italian Adult Scouts celebrating the 60-year anniversary of being founded, this Saturday in Paul VI Hall.
The Holy Father began by thanking them for their works in their communities and parishes, in which they “witness the values of loyalty, fraternity and love of God and of neighbor, serving generously the ecclesial and civil community.”
“I would like to encourage you,” he said, “to continue your journey, which calls you to make way in the family; to make way in creation; to make way in the city.”
Family
Speaking on how to “make way” in the family, he reminded the group that the family remains always the “cell of society” and the “primary place of education.”
Thanks to the bases acquired in the family, the Pontiff said, one “is able to project himself in society, to frequent positively other formative environments,” such as the school, the parish, and associations.
Thus, “in this integration between the bases assimilated in the family” and “’outside’ experiences,” he said, “we learn to find our way in the world.”
“All vocations take their first steps in the family, and bear its mark for the whole of life,” he said.
Giving an example, he said, “Sometimes it happens that a child, with his affection and simplicity, is able to reanimate the whole family. Dialogue between the spouses, listening and mutual discussions are the essential elements for a family to be serene and fecund.”
Creation
The Pontiff stressed the need to “make way” in Creation.
“Our time cannot neglect the ecological question, which is vital for man’s survival, or reduce it to merely political questions,” he said, adding, “It is, in fact, a moral dimension that touches all, so that no one can be indifferent to it.”
As Christ’s disciples, he said, we are called “to be united with all men of good will for the protection and defense of nature and the environment” because Creation is a “gift entrusted to us from the hands of the Creator.”
“To live and have closer contact with nature, as you do, implies not only respect for it, but also the commitment to contribute concretely to eliminate the wastefulness of a society that tends increasingly to dispose of goods that are still usable and which can be given to those who are in need,” he noted.
In the city
When “living in neighborhoods and in cities,” you are called to “be as leaven that ferments the dough, offering your sincere contribution for the realization of the common good.”
In a complex and multi-cultural society, he told them they can “witness, with simplicity and humility, the love of Jesus for every person, experiencing also new ways of evangelization.”
Otherwise, he noted, in difficult situations, one risks “being lost, risks losing the capacity to see the horizon, to feel God’s presence.”
“Continue to trace your way with hope in the future,” he said, noting, “Your scout formation is good training!”
Recalling St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians, he says the Apostle talks of athletes who train for the course “through severe discipline for an ephemeral recompense.”
“The Christian,” instead, he noted, “trains to be a good missionary disciple of the Lord Jesus, listening assiduously to His Word, always trusting Him, who never disappoints, pausing with Him in prayer, seeking to be a living stone in the ecclesial community.”
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full Translation: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-address-to-scouts-on-movement-s-60th-anniversary
On the NET:
About the Movement (in Italian): http://www.masci.it/
