Pope
Francis has regularly underlined how Christ’s vision privileged those who are
materially disadvantaged, marginalised and excluded, and has called on Catholics
to establish a more equitable world. The gap between rich and poor has continued
to rise exponentially since the abrupt end to the Celtic Tiger and one wonders
when the social documents of Vatican II might be reignited to combat the massive
disparity between the haves and the have-nots. Gerard McCann quotes the words of
Martin Luther King, which have a huge significance for today’s world: “We must
rapidly begin to shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented
society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are
considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme
materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
People
inspired by the spirit of Vatican II were to the forefront in the struggle for
human rights in places like South and Central America, often (as in the case of
Archbishop Romero in El Salvador) paying for their convictions with their lives.
In Ireland, the Jesuit priest Peter McVerry and Sister Stanislaus Kennedy of
Focus Ireland are two well-known and respected advocates for the homeless, while
Brother Kevin Crowley runs the Capuchin Day Centre on Merchants Quay, where
hundreds of people come daily to avail of the meals that are supplied there for
those who have fallen on hard times. These three spiritual witnesses are in
harmony with the spirit of Vatican II.
http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/review-ireland-and-vatican-ii-essays-theological-pastoral-and-educational-1.2627949
http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/report-pope-considering-global-peace-topic-next-synod-bishops
http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/report-pope-considering-global-peace-topic-next-synod-bishops
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