In a letter to participants in an international conference currently in Havana honoring Cuban national hero Marti, the pope urged them to work on solutions that exclude no one for this moment in history.
(Vatican News Network)The Fifth International Conference on “Promoting Balanced World Development” was held in Havana, Cuba from January 24 to 28, and also commemorated the birthday of José Marti, a writer, statesman, thinker and leader of the Cuban independence movement. On this occasion, the Pope wrote to the participants that the current “disturbing” social and political environment should bring about a “change of course”.
Marty lived in the second half of the 19th century and is regarded as a national hero. In his letter, the Pope noted that a figure described as “awakening the conscience of those in the world who are called to create an atmosphere of dialogue and fraternity” can “promote significant change”. The Pope pointed out that in order to achieve the goal of change, it is extremely necessary for everyone to sit down and “listen to each other”, and at the same time, “it is urgent to build bridges” in order to be able to “find solutions that exclude no one”. In short, dialogue is necessary, and “the dialogue must be conducted with a broad perspective of universal brotherhood and friendship”.
The Pope referred to a few words Marti said at the tomb of the Cuban philosopher, the venerable Father Ballarre. He admired Father Ballarat’s “love of his country and courage in denouncing what he considered incompatible with the social good” and “his gentleness, which is a fundamental virtue of those in power and should guide social and political dialogue.” “.
In addition, the Pope also mentioned peace. In his message on this year’s World Day of Peace, he pointed out that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many heroic people have demonstrated the faith, hope and generosity of devotion hidden in the love of God and imprinted in the nature of everyone. These require us “to focus on the word ‘together’. Because only ‘together’, in love and solidarity, can we transcend the most tragic events”.
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