Consumerism is the chase today

In the general audience Francis reviewed his trip to Hungary. In May, he invited the little shepherds of Fatima to make the Virgin’s invitation their own and to pray the rosary every day for the end of the war. Also present in Saint Peter’s Square were the participants in the first meeting between Christians and Hindus living in Europe, promoted by the Department for Interreligious Dialogue.

Vatican City () – Consumerism is the most dangerous persecution for Christians today. This was stated by Pope Francis today, reviewing as usual the apostolic journey that he has just made to Hungary together with the pilgrims who were present in Saint Peter’s Square for the general audience on Wednesdays.

“I have seen so many simple and hard-working people who proudly guard the link with their roots,” Francis said, “and among these roots are above all the saints, who today exhort us to overcome the risk of defeatism and fear of the future, reminding us that Christ is our future”. The Pope recalled how these roots were put to the test during the communist persecution “with bishops, priests, religious and lay people assassinated or deprived of liberty. And although they tried to cut down the tree of faith, the roots remained intact: a hidden Church remained, but alive, strong, with the strength of the Gospel”. Before there had been the Nazis, with “the tragic deportation of so many Jews.” And in this sense, Francis recalled the testimony of the Hungarian poet Edith Bruck, who lives in Rome and is just 92 years old today.

“As it emerged in meetings with young people and with the world of culture, freedom is also threatened today – added the pontiff -. How? Especially with white gloves, by a consumerism that anesthetizes, for which one is content with a bit of material well-being and, forgetting the past, ‘floats’ in a present tailored to the individual. This is the dangerous pursuit of worldliness promoted by consumerism.” “When the only thing that counts is to think of oneself and do what one likes, the roots are drowned”, the Pope continued, “it is a problem that concerns all of Europe, where dedicating oneself to others is in crisis, feeling community, feel the beauty of dreaming together and forming large families”.

Along with the commitment to preserve the roots, the trip to Hungary also showed the importance of building bridges between different peoples. “Europe, as a ‘bridge of peace,’ is called to include differences,” Francis said, “and to welcome those who knock on its doors.” Beautiful, in this sense, the humanitarian bridge that was created for so many refugees from neighboring Ukraine, with whom I was able to meet, also admiring the great network of charity of the Hungarian Church”. The Pope then mentioned the bridges that the Church “is called to tend towards the men of today, because the proclamation of Christ cannot consist only in repeating the past, but always needs to be brought up to date, to help the women and men of our time to rediscover Jesus”. bridges between believers of different rites and denominations “who in Hungary work well together”.

Then, in his greeting to the pilgrims, Francis recalled the beginning of the month of May, which by tradition of the Church is dedicated to Marian devotion: “I remember the request of Our Lady of Fatima to the three little shepherds: ‘Recite the rosary every day for peace in the world and the end of war.’ I also ask you: pray the rosary for peace”. “I invite you to get to know Mary more deeply – he added -, to enter into intimacy with her to welcome her as a spiritual mother and model of fidelity to Christ. To her, mother of consolation and queen of peace, I entrust the martyred Ukrainian people”. .

Lastly, it is worth highlighting two significant presences in today’s audience: firstly, Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk, “Foreign Minister” of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, who met yesterday in the Vatican with the prefect of the Department for Eastern Churches, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti. And also the 55 participants in the first meeting on the theme “Hindus and Christians in Europe: building together a new humanism based on fraternity”, organized in Rome by the Department for Interreligious Dialogue in collaboration with the Hindu Forum of Europe, the Union Italian Hindu and the World Council of Churches. The participants reflected on how to strengthen cooperation between Christians and Hindus in Europe on issues that can foster human prosperity through interfaith dialogue, solidarity and hospitality.