00:00We are now going to go back to the community to listen to the statements of the Pope.
00:06This neighborhood, to walk through the streets of this neighborhood,
00:09and to see the projects that have been carried out with such hard work.
00:16Being here with you makes me feel at home
00:18and brings back memories of the visits I made to various communities as a missionary.
00:23I would like to thank Cardinal Daniel Sturla, Archbishop of Montevideo,
00:27Fr. Pablo Coimbra, parish priest of this community,
00:33and Ms. Carmen Albana Sanz, for their words of welcome.
00:39And I also thank all of you for being here today
00:47and for preparing this gathering with such enthusiasm.
00:54In a special way, I am grateful to Angela, Alan, Catherine for sharing their testimonies
01:02and opening their hearts to recount the triumph of faith, life, and hope.
01:08Thank you, Angelica, Alan, and Catherine.
01:15This parish is dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe,
01:22whom my predecessors declared patroness of Latin America and empress of the Americas.
01:30The loving presence of Our Heavenly Mother on this continent
01:33invites us to look beyond the reality around us,
01:39to see beyond borders,
01:42and to open our hearts to eternal realities by lifting our gaze.
01:52Mary teaches us to do whatever her Son Jesus tells us.
01:57And that is also the mission of parishes,
01:59to be a lighthouse that points to the presence of Jesus Christ,
02:05offering to all the light of God's Word,
02:09the help of the sacraments,
02:11the support of prayer,
02:12and the balm of fraternal charity.
02:21A project that has been carried out in this parish community
02:25to build several homes for families with limited means.
02:31I am pleased to have been able to contribute to this beautiful initiative
02:35through the benefactors of the Papal Foundation,
02:38to whom I offer my thanks for their generosity.
02:45May these homes be for your families much more than simply a roof over their heads.
02:51May they be a true home where you can grow in dignity, peace, and hope,
02:56always experiencing God's love and closeness.
03:05I would like to share with you a story that Jesus told His disciples,
03:09one that you surely know,
03:11the parable of the Good Samaritan.
03:18It tells of a man who fell into the hands of robbers,
03:21who stripped him, beat him, and took off,
03:26leaving him half dead.
03:31The terrible assault of the traveler on the road was a most tragic and unjust situation.
03:37Added to his pain was the indifference of those who saw him in need,
03:40yet passed him by.
03:49But the story does not end there.
03:55A ray of hope shines through.
03:58A Samaritan saw the man,
04:01was moved with compassion,
04:04approached him,
04:05tended his wounds,
04:07took him to an inn,
04:09and provided for his care and recovery.
04:18Dear brothers and sisters,
04:20this story is repeated today in the widespread insecurity and violence
04:24that unfortunately threatened the peace of our neighborhoods,
04:30and even the lives of our loved ones.
04:34And all too often society responds with indifference.
04:45Yet at the same time we can see another side,
04:49the actions of many institutions and people of goodwill
04:53who foster peace and offer practical assistance to those in need.
05:09A shining example is Father Cacho's life of selfless service.
05:14As Angélica told us in her testimony,
05:16he built bridges, tore down walls, and fostered encounters.
05:24We need to continue to commit ourselves to the charity
05:27and closeness of the Good Samaritan.
05:29who did not remain indifferent upon seeing misfortune,
05:34but took responsibility for his brother's life.
05:42We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact
05:45that there are children in Uruguay who do not go to school
05:48for fear of never returning home.
05:51We cannot silence our conscience
05:53when we see a mother lacking the means to feed her children.
06:03We cannot ignore the many people around us
06:06who are suffering, alone, and vulnerable.
06:11We heard about this firsthand
06:13through Catherine's moving words.
06:20In a country as rich in resources as this,
06:24children should never have to go to bed hungry
06:27or be denied the chance of a decent education
06:31and a dignified future
06:32because of the insecurity that reigns in the streets.
06:43much less should they have to suffer violence
06:49to the point of losing their lives.
06:55We must work together,
06:57the church, civil society, and the state.
07:01We need to shake off our apathy
07:03and advocate for the common good.
07:09This is what Alan has shared through his experience.
07:12Today, he freely gives to others
07:14what he himself has received.
07:17It is up to us to decide to build a new city
07:20where no one is excluded
07:25or to remain comfortably immersed in our own affairs.
07:35As Pope Francis told us,
07:37the decision to include or exclude
07:39those lying wounded along the roadside
07:41can serve as a criterion
07:44for judging every economic, political,
07:47social, and religious project.
07:50Each day, we have to decide
07:52whether to be good Samaritans
07:53or indifferent bystanders.
08:05The church's mission stems from evangelical charity,
08:08which impels her to draw near
08:10to the wounds of humanity
08:12whenever they surface with greater severity.
08:16When the church intervenes,
08:18she does so following the example
08:20of the Good Samaritan,
08:21with discretion and closeness,
08:25aware that what arises from urgent necessity
08:27cannot become the norm,
08:30nor replace the institutional responsibilities
08:33proper to the civil community.
08:42Let us therefore offer our efforts
08:44and respond generously to the call
08:46to build together
08:47a homeland of brothers and sisters.
08:56Dear friends,
08:57the parable of the Good Samaritan
08:58concludes with Jesus' command.
09:01Go and do likewise.
09:05Every Christian should hear this commandment
09:07echoing in their heart every day.
09:13May these words renew us and inspire us
09:16to continue building a new city together
09:19where love and peace reign.
09:24May God bless you,
09:26and may our Mother of Guadalupe,
09:30for whom I have a special affection and veneration,
09:33as I received my Episcopal ordination on her feast day,
09:37shelter you under her heavenly mantle.
