To the Favela Dos Algados (7 July 1980)

On 7 July 1980, the Holy Father visited the favela Dos Algados in Salvador da Bahia, to whom he spoke as “beings rich in a dignity that no one can trample on without hurting God himself.”

Dear friends, brothers and sisters in Christ.

1. This meeting with you gives me great joy; the warmth of your welcome impresses and moves me. Greeting you all with affection in Christ the Lord, I raise a thought of gratitude to God for allowing me to get here, to visit the place where you live and above all to see you.

When I travel on my pastoral visits, with the mission of representing Christ to the whole Church throughout the world, I always remember that Christ himself asked Saint Peter and, therefore, those who would take his place in the "Church who presides over the universal assembly of charity” (St. Ignatius of Antioch, Epistula ad Romanos, “Inscriptio” , 1,1-2, 2: Funk, 1, 213), a profession of love. Love for this Christ, without whom it is impossible to feed the Christian faithful well, whom he called the "lambs" and the "sheep". And love of neighbor, and in the first place of brothers in the faith. Through this love, everyone will know that we are his disciples (cf. Jn 13:35).

To obey this commandment, I do my utmost to meet everyone: rich and poor, those who live in comfort, at least relative, and those who face great difficulties in living. I want to tell everyone and bear witness to the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that they may believe in him and be able to reach salvation.

But the least favored of earthly goods, since they have the greatest need of help and comfort, always occupy a special place in this concern of mine to be a faithful continuation of Christ's mission: "To announce to the poor a good news", God's salvation (cf. Luke 4:1).

I consider everything I said during my visit to the "favela" of Vidigal in Rio de Janeiro as addressed to you. I feel challenged, as the Church also feels challenged, by the enunciation of the beatitudes proclaimed by Christ the Lord and I feel committed to doing something so that all men let themselves be challenged by this proclamation and mobilize themselves to carry out this great task of promoting greater justice: the construction of an ever more just and, consequently, more humane society. However, justice, the new name of the common good, as I have already had occasion to affirm, can only be consolidated on the basis of the conversion of minds and wills: to ensure that every man has the heart of the poor: "Blessed are the poor in spirit ” (Mt 5:3).

2. So I'm here because I want to be faithful to the spirit of Christ and because I love you, as you are and as you present yourself. You are all human persons and my brothers in Our Lord Jesus Christ. I thought of many poor neighborhoods in Salvador and throughout Brazil that would have liked to receive the Pope's visit. The Pope would feel very great pleasure in making this visit to every house or shack where families or simple people live, sometimes in severe poverty. However, since it is not possible to do so, I want the visit I am now making to you to also be a symbol, as if by entering here I were entering all the same districts as this one.

I was saying that as I approach you I meet human beings: beings who possess an intelligence thirsting for truth and a will that desires love, children of God, souls redeemed by Christ, and therefore beings rich in a dignity that no one can trample on without hurting God himself. So you certainly appreciate those who give you comfort, heart, courage and hope: those who help you to grow and develop in your capacity as human persons and to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of your promotion: those who help you to love in a world of hate and to show solidarity in a terribly selfish world. But it is clear that you are aware that you are not only objects of merit, but people who are active in building your destiny and your life. God grant that there may be many of us who offer you disinterested collaboration so that you free yourself from everything that in a certain way enslaves you, but fully respecting who you are, and your right to be the first authors of your human promotion. My greatest joy has been to learn from various sources that there are, among others, two great qualities in you: you have, thank God, a sense of family and you possess a great sense of solidarity, to help one another others, when necessary. Continue to cultivate these good feelings, to be close friends with everyone, even with those who, for whatever reason, seem to close their hearts to you. You are always open hearts! and your right to be the first authors of your human promotion. My greatest joy has been to learn from various sources that there are, among others, two great qualities in you: you have, thank God, a sense of family and you possess a great sense of solidarity, to help one another others, when necessary. Continue to cultivate these good feelings, to be close friends with everyone, even with those who, for whatever reason, seem to close their hearts to you. You are always open hearts! and your right to be the first authors of your human promotion. My greatest joy has been to learn from various sources that there are, among others, two great qualities in you: you have, thank God, a sense of family and you possess a great sense of solidarity, to help one another others, when necessary. Continue to cultivate these good feelings, to be close friends with everyone, even with those who, for whatever reason, seem to close their hearts to you. You are always open hearts! Continue to cultivate these good feelings, to be close friends with everyone, even with those who, for whatever reason, seem to close their hearts to you. You are always open hearts! Continue to cultivate these good feelings, to be close friends with everyone, even with those who, for whatever reason, seem to close their hearts to you. You are always open hearts!

3. You see: only love matters - we never repeat it too much - only love builds. You must fight for life, do everything to improve the conditions in which you live: it is a sacred duty, because this is also God's will. Do not say that it is God's will that you remain in a situation of poverty, sickness, unhealthy housing, which are often contrary to your dignity as human persons. Do not say: "It is God who wants it". I know this is not just up to you. I am not unaware that much will have to be done by others to put an end to the bad conditions which afflict you or to improve them.

But it is you who must always be the first to make your life better in all aspects. Desiring to overcome bad conditions, giving each other a hand to bring about - together - better days, not waiting for everything from the outside, but starting to do everything possible, trying to educate themselves in order to have greater possibilities for improvement: these are some important steps on your journey.

And so, from this place and at this time, in your name as your brother in humanity, with only the power of the love and strength of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I ask all who can or should help, to let in in one's heart the echo of the anguish of your hearts, seeing the lack of food, clothing, home, education, work, medicines, finally all that is necessary to live as a human person. And may this cry of mine inspire a dialogue, even if it is silent, a dialogue of love, which is expressed in acts of help and sharing among brothers.

God, the Father of us all, will see with pleasure and bless this goodness, as Jesus promised: "Give, and it will be given to you" (Lk 6:38).

With this appeal to consciences, I wish to encourage your desire, which is also mine, to improve your standard of living in order to become ever more men with all your dignity: more brothers than all men, in the human family: and more sons of God, knowing and practicing what it means. And with great affection I bless all of you, your families and all of you inhabitants of the Alagados, as well as all those present. The Pope prays for everyone: you too pray for him, especially in these days that he is in Brazil.

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