VATICAN: “Flee from Social Enmity, leave Polarization Behind,” Pope Francis’ Message on Social Friendship
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
In his worldwide prayer network message for the month of July, on social friendship, Pope Francis has called on all Christians to keep off from enmity and division and build friendships that promote healthy living.
“We must flee from social enmity which only destroys, and leave “polarization” behind,” Pope Francis says in a video message reminding Christians that it is not that easy “especially today when part of our politics, society and media are bent on creating enemies so as to defeat them in a game of power.”
He has encouraged dialogue as “the path to seeing reality in a new way, so we can live with passion the challenges we face in constructing the common good.”
“We especially need to have a renewed encounter with the most impoverished and vulnerable, those on the peripheries,” the Pontiff emphasized in his message adding that, “We need to distance ourselves from populisms that exploit the anguish of the people without providing solutions, proposing a mystique that solves nothing.”
Besides he has invite everyone to “go beyond their groups of friends and build social friendship, which is so necessary for living together well.”
The Pope acknowledges that from Scriptures, “whoever finds a friend has found a treasure,” hence it is time we pray that in social, economic, and political situations of conflict, we may be courageous and passionate architects of dialogue and friendship, men and women who always hold out a helping hand.”
Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network also known as Apostleship of Prayer, addresses the challenges facing humanity.
In relation to fraternity and social friendship, Pope Francis had earlier stressed in his encyclical letter Fratelli Tutti the importance of dialogue and friendship in society saying, “Authentic social dialogue involves the ability to respect the other’s point of view and to admit that it may include legitimate convictions and concerns.”
