World Youth Day USA Guides Retreat Manual | Page 54

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Jesus walks with many who are suffering;

II. Pope Francis on Solidarity

restores their dignity and offers hope:

“The Brazilian people, particularly the humblest
among you, can offer the world a valuable

a) The woman who touches his

lesson in solidarity; this word solidarity is too

cloak (Mt 9:20-22)

often forgotten or silenced, because it is

b) A crippled man is healed by Jesus

uncomfortable. It almost seems like a bad

(Mk 2:9-12)
c) Lepers are healed (Lk 17:12-16)

word: solidarity. I would like to make an appeal

d) Blind man at Siloam (Jn 9:6-7)

to those in possession of greater resources, to

e) Disciples at Emmaus, struggling

public authorities and to all people of good will
who are working for social justice: never tire of

with Jesus’ crucifixion (Lk 24:13-35)

working for a more just world, marked by
For those traveling to World Youth Day in

greater solidarity! No one can remain

Kraków, the concept of solidarity has another

insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the

important connection: the Solidarity

world!” Address of Pope Francis to the community of

(Solidarność) movement in Poland in the

Varginha/Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, July 25, 2013

1980s, led by Lech Wałęsa. This movement had

vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2013/july/d
ocuments/papa-francesco_20130725_gmg-comunita-

a connection to the principle of the dignity of

varginha.html

the worker in communist-block countries, a
concept echoed by Catholic social teaching

“Let me tell you what I hope will be the

(e.g., the 1987 encyclical of St. John Paul II,

outcome of World Youth Day: I hope there will

Sollicitudo Rei Socialis [The Social Concern]).

be noise. Here there will be noise, I’m quite
sure. Here in Rio there will be plenty of noise,

In 1984, Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, a Polish

no doubt about that. But I want you to make

priest, was martyred by his country’s Security

yourselves heard in your dioceses, I want the

Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to

noise to go out, I want the Church to go out

silence him for protesting the unjust treatment

onto the streets…do not cease to be the

of workers in Poland’s Solidarity movement.

cultural storehouse of our people, a storehouse

This definition of solidarity is a particular

that hands on justice, hands on history, hands

cultural understanding of this Catholic teaching

on values, hands on the memory of the

important to the people of Kraków and the

people.” Address of Pope Francis to young people

heritage of St. John Paul II.

from Argentina, Rio de Janeiro,