Isolation is the enemy of community, Pope says
November 25, 2016
“It is isolation that harms, not sharing,” Pope Francis said in a video message to participants in the 6th festival of the Social Doctrine of the Church.
The Pope dedicated his remarks to the theme of the conference, “Amongst People.” He said that to be among people means ending isolation. Moreover, he said, it “does not mean merely being open toward others but also letting others get close to us.”
When people are in close contact with their neighbors, the Pope continued, it is far easier to promote the common good. He contrasted the close ties of a strong neighborhood with the power of a government removed from the people:
When a people is separated from whoever is in power, when choices are made on the basis of power and not as a fruit of popular expression, when those in power consider themselves more important than the people and decisions are made by few, or are anonymous, or are always dictated by real or presumed emergencies, then social harmony is threatened with serious consequences: poverty increases, peace is jeopardized, money is in command and the people suffers.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
