By Christopher Wells
After hearing testimonies from a priest, a religious sister, and two catechists (a man and a woman), Pope Francis reflected on the three virtues that comprise the theme of his Apostolic Journey to Indonesia: faith, fraternity, and compassion. “I think these are three virtues that express well both your journey as a Church and your character as a people, who are ethnically and culturally diverse”, the Pope said. “At the same time, you are characterized by an innate striving for unity and peaceful coexistence”.
A relationship with creation and one another
The Holy Father then spoke about faith, saying that the immense natural wealth of Indonesia can be an occasion for recognizing God’s presence in the cosmos and in our own lives. “There is not an inch of the marvellous Indonesian territory”, he said, “nor a moment in the lives of its millions of inhabitants that is not a gift from God, a sign of his gratuitous and everlasting love as Father”. He noted that Agnes, a catechist, bore witness to this by inviting everyone to a relationship with creation and to one another.
Living out fraternity
To illustrate the idea of “fraternity”, Pope Francis borrowed an image from a twentieth century poet, who said that being brothers and sisters means “loving each other by recognizing one another ‘as different as two drops of water’”. He drew the lesson that “living out fraternity” – a value that he noted was “dear to the Indonesian Church” – “means welcoming each other, recognizing one another as equal in diversity”.
He recalled the testimony of Sister Rina who emphasized the importance of trying to reach everyone, and expressed his hope that not only the Scriptures but also the teachings of the Church might be translated into Indonesian. The Pope also expressed his appreciation for the witness of Nicholas – another catechist – who described his mission as a “bridge” that unites people by overcoming barriers and embracing diversity.
Compassion: drawing close to one another
Finally, Pope Francis commented on the close relationship between fraternity and compassion, which, he said, does not consist solely in charitable giving, but in “drawing us close to one another” and embracing “the dreams and desires for freedom and justice” of those who are in need.
Compassion, he insisted, is not a weakness; it does not “cloud the true vision of life” – as some would have it – but instead, “makes us see things better, in the light of love”.
Mary, a model of faith
Finally, the Pope pointed to the architecture of the Cathedral’s entrance as an illustration of his message. The statue of the Blessed Virgin at the top of the arch shows that Mary is a model of faith, while also symbolically supporting the whole Church.
She serves, then, also as an image of fraternity, of genuine welcome for all who wish to enter; as well as an icon of compassion, “watching over and protecting God’s people who… gather in the Father’s house”.
Pope Francis concluded his address by inviting all those who work in the Church to bear witness to the joy of the Resurrection (echoing the words of Pope St John Paul II); and encouraging them to continue in their mission “by being strong in faith, open to all in fraternity and close to one another in compassion”. – Vatican News
