Official and closed-door meetings. After receiving some victims of abuse in the evening and taking notes on their wounds still to be healed, Francis opens the day by addressing the theme of democracy, health and hospitality with the Vice President of the European Commission, Margaritīs Schinas, with Dubravka ŠuicaVice President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, with Oxana Domenti, WHO Representative to the European Union and with the Regional Director of the World Health Organization for Europe, Hans Kluge.
Immediately afterwards, however, in the church of Saint Gilles, has breakfast with the homeless assisted by the parish. «You even created La Biche de saint Gilles, and I imagine it’s a very good beer!», he says in response to the gift that was given to him and which helps support charitable works.
With some of them, he then reaches the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Koekelberg. Here he talks about abuse, prison, migrants.
Pope Francis, in the meeting with the bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians and pastoral workers, listens to the testimonies of a priest, a pastoral worker, a theologian, a representative of the reception centers for victims of abuse, a religious woman and a prison chaplain. Six testimonies of a Church which, despite being a minority, wants to continue to bear witness to the Gospel.
Pope Francis encourages them. «In this crossroads that is Belgium, you are a Church “on the move”», he tells them. «In fact, for some time you have been trying to transform the presence of parishes in the area, to give a strong boost to the training of lay people; above all you work to be a community close to the people, which accompanies people and bears witness with gestures of mercy.”
A Church that has become a minority and to which Francis offers traces of reflection around three words: evangelization, joy, mercy.
«The changes of our era and the crisis of faith that we are experiencing in the West have pushed us to return to the essential, that is, to the Gospel, so that the good news that Jesus brought into the world is announced to everyone again, making all its beauty shine» , he says, referring to evangelization and the need, through the crisis, to shake ourselves up, to wake up from the torpor. «In fact, when we experience desolation, we must always ask ourselves what message the Lord wants to communicate to us. And what does the crisis show us? We have gone from a Christianity placed in a hospitable social framework to a “minority” Christianity, or rather, one of testimony. And this requires the courage of an ecclesial conversion, to initiate those pastoral transformations which also concern the habits, models, languages of faith, so that they are truly at the service of evangelization”.
This courage is also asked of priests who must not limit themselves to “preserve or manage a heritage of the past”, but they must be “shepherds in love with Jesus Christ and attentive to grasping the questions of the Gospel – often implicit – as they walk with the holy People of God, a little in front, a little in the middle and a little behind”. When you bring the Gospel you open your heart to encounters, to dreams, to different spiritualities.
«All are on the move, but on different paths», he says, taking up the words of one of the testimonies. «It must be exactly like this, because there can be many personal or community paths, which however lead us to the same goal, to the encounter with the Lord: in the Church there is space for everyone, everyone, everyone and no one must be the photocopy of the other”. Because “unity in the Church is not uniformity, but is finding harmony in diversity!”.
An applause welcomes Francesco’s words. Which explains that «the synodal process must also be a return to the Gospel; must not have some “fashionable” reform among its priorities, but ask ourselves: how can we make the Gospel reach a society that no longer listens to it or has moved away from the faith? Let’s all ask ourselves that.”
And then “joy”. Not those “linked to something temporary” linked to escapism or consumerism. «It is a greater joy, which accompanies and sustains life even in dark or painful moments, and this is a gift that comes from above, from God. It is the joy of the heart aroused by the Gospel: it is knowing that along the way we are not alone and that even in situations of poverty, sin, affliction, God is close, takes care of us and will not allow death to have the last word». He quotes Pope Benedict who, long before becoming Pope in 1978, wrote that a rule of discernment is this: “Where joy is missing, where humor dies, here there is not even the Holy Spirit (…) and vice versa: joy is a sign of grace.” Handsome”.
And therefore the Pope urges that “your preaching, your celebration, your service and your apostolate let the joy of your heart shine through, because this raises questions and attracts even those who are far away”. Joy is the path that accompanies us even in difficulties. We must be able to show that fidelity to the Gospel is a “path towards happiness”. And then, by seeing where the road leads, you are more ready to start the journey.”
Finally the third way, which is that of mercy. We must know that God “never withdraws his love for us. Let us fix this in our hearts: God never withdraws his love for us. “But also when have I committed something serious?”. God never withdraws his love for you. This, when faced with the experience of evil, can sometimes seem “unfair” to us, because we simply apply the earthly justice that says: “he who makes mistakes must pay”. However, God’s justice is superior: those who have made mistakes are called to repair their mistakes, but to heal their hearts they need God’s merciful love. Don’t forget, God forgives everything and God always forgives. It is with his mercy that God justifies us, that is, makes us righteous, because he gives us a new heart, a new life.”
And speaking of abuse, he thanks Mia “for the great work you do to transform anger and pain into help, closeness and compassion”. It must be interrupted by the applause that underlines this thanks. «Abuse generates atrocious suffering and wounds, also undermining the path of faith. And there is a need for a lot of mercy, so as not to remain stone-hearted in the face of the suffering of the victims, to make them feel our closeness and offer all the help possible, to learn from them – as you said – to be a Church that serves everyone without subjugating anyone. Yes, because one root of violence consists in the abuse of power, when we use the roles we have to crush others or manipulate them.” Mercy is also a key word for prisoners. «When I enter a prison I ask myself: “Why you and not me?”», underlines Francis. «Jesus shows us that God does not keep himself at a distance from our wounds and impurities. He knows that we can all make mistakes, but no one is wrong. No one is lost forever. It is right, then, to follow all the paths of earthly justice and human, psychological and penal paths; but punishment must be a medicine, it must lead to healing. We need to help people get back on their feet and find their way in life and in society. Let’s remember: we can all make mistakes, but no one is wrong, no one is lost forever. Mercy, always mercy”, says the Pope underlined by the applause of those present.
He invites everyone to remember «a work by Magritte, your illustrious painter, entitled “The Act of Faith”. It represents a door closed from the inside, which however is broken down in the center and is open to the sky. It is a glimpse, which invites us to go further, to look forward and upwards, to never close in on ourselves. This is an image that I leave you, as a symbol of a Church that never closes its doors, that offers everyone an opening onto the infinite, that knows how to look beyond. This is the Church that evangelizes, lives the joy of the Gospel, practices mercy.”
