Behind her there are 1,900 upper generals, the leaders of female religious congregations that count over 600,000 women all over the world. Sister Patricia Murray, of the Blessed Virgin Mary Institute (best known as “Sisters of Loreto”), is Irish, is 77 years old and is the executive secretary of the International Union of the Superior Generali (UISG). Today, he says, all this army of religious is in prayer for Pope Francis: «At this moment we are close to him, we suffer with him. And we ask that he feels the love and accompaniment of the sisters of the world. Yes, all over the world, we religious are praying for and with him, for whatever God has in store ».
What Pope Francis represents for a religious who, like her, was also called to take responsibility in the Vatican, Dicastery consultant for culture and education And then a member of the group that developed the summary document of a synodal assembly (first woman in the history of the Church)?
«Francesco is an incredible presence for the Church and the world. A humble man, but also strong in proclaiming the evangelical message in its entirety, in recognizing the failures of the Church, in calling all of us to conversion and change. I admire his honesty in admitting his weakness and fragility, his humanity. And the way it turns to those who are particularly injured and to the margins of life. I have in mind many images of the Pope who embraces someone who has been injured, who has a weight on the heart. An episode struck me very much: that child who, during a visit to a parish (in Corviale, Rome, in 2018, ed.) He asked him if his father, who was not a practicing Catholic and had dead, had gone to heaven. “That dad did not have the gift of faith but made his children baptize, this liked this to God. What do you think? “Francesco replied, making a sort of catechism, relaunching the question of that boy to other children. “How can a man who raised his son so good not to be in heaven?”. It is his ability to make the Gospel live in a very human, ordinary context that touches me a lot ».
Pope Francis is a Jesuit, therefore – so to speak – your “colleague”. What is your message to you religious and religious?
«He told us to wake up the world, go on the streets, be close to people and meet the expectations and needs of people. As religious he asked us to “leave our nests”; “Get out of that door and meet people”; “Go out on the streets”; “Go to borders”; “Leave the center and travel to the suburbs”; “Reach the fringes of humanity”. He told us that we are on a path of transformation. It is a personal transformation, but also a transformation of society. On a personal level, this Pope calls us to our truest, best and profound ego. But also, as a Church, he is calling us to convert, in order to really be the light that shines in the world, the yeast in the pasta. It is a constant called conversion. In his fragile voice, in the message he gave to the square in prayer in recent days, we have heard his weakness, but we also know his strength, the strength of faith, his courage, his love for the Church. And also his profound spiritual life ».
What has been in recent years the response of the religious to the Pope’s appeal?
«Together with other women and men we are building solidarity networks and developing practical projects to deal with human trafficking, to welcome migrants and refugees and to deal with climate change and the destruction of the environment, reaching in multiple ways those who seek help of any type. The care of the planet and the poor is at the center of our mission and our ministries, because the “fullness of life” is at the center of the evangelical life. The religious are also present in various institutional ministries – schools, hospitals, clinics, structures for the elderly, prisons – and also serve in parish and diocesan ministries, in retreat centers and, more recently, in Vatican dicasteries, in the commissions and in Vatican advice. Congregations of religious generally have a specific ministry to respond to the needs of women and children and to be particularly close to those who are on the edge of life, to those who are forgotten, abandoned and abused “.
The UISG is scheduled for next May. What will you treat?
“The theme of the Assembly, which will take place from 5 to 9 May, is” consecrated life: a hope that transforms “. The participation of about 900 people is expected, it is an important moment for both the consecrated life and the life of the Church. During the assembly we will focus on the need for hope in the many difficult situations that we must face in today’s world. In addition, we will draw on the intuition and experience of sisters who live and work in different contexts to nourish and develop rich spiritual resources to support ourselves and others. UISG has a vast online training program on synodal leadership, interculturality, care and safeguard, canonical law, team building, personal development and many other topics. The UISG has significant projects focused on the fight against human beings section (Talitha Kum), on the treatment of creation (Sowing Hope for the Planet), on the care and safeguard of children (Catholic Care for Children International) and on migrations (Lampedusa and International Migration Network). Each project is integrated by the development of the ability to make advocacy ».
