By Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith
On July 8, 2013, Pope Francis posed the rhetorical query, “The place is your brother?” He then responded, “This isn’t a query directed to others; it’s a query directed to me, to you, to every of us. These brothers and sisters of ours had been making an attempt to flee troublesome conditions to seek out some serenity and peace; they had been in search of a greater place for themselves and their households, however as a substitute they discovered demise.”
The Pope requested this query on his historic go to to the Italian island of Lampedusa to hope for refugees and migrants from Africa, the Center East and Asia in search of to enter Europe, however who had been misplaced at sea. Pope Francis—the primary non-European pope, the primary pope from the worldwide south—prayed for individuals who had drowned throughout their journey. He threw a wreath of flowers into the ocean as an indication of mourning. He then proceeded with an open-air mass, throughout which he denounced the “globalization of indifference,” which “makes us suppose solely of ourselves, makes us insensitive to the cries of different individuals.”
His final put up earlier than he died on Easter Monday 2025 mirrored the same sentiment when he acknowledged, “Christ is risen! These phrases seize your complete that means of our existence, for we weren’t made for demise however for all times.”
As we have fun Africa Day this Could 25, we’ve got one other second to have fun life. Whereas Africa Day has a deal with the celebration of lifetime of Africans and folks of African descent globally, it’s also a day for celebrating the lives of all. Along with his papal marketing campaign of mercy for all and never simply the chosen few, Pope Francis acknowledged the horrors that finish life and our name to maintain life.
Pope Francis declared 2025 to be a “Jubilee Yr of Hope” with a deal with debt reduction, which disproportionately impacts nations in Africa and small island nations populated by individuals of African descent. Bread is supportive of this focus and its relation to our Nourish Our Future marketing campaign. This marketing campaign will probably be our theme for our fiftieth Anniversary Advocacy Summit, June 9–11 in Washington, D.C. Please go right here to be taught extra about this marketing campaign and act along with your Providing of Letters. And go right here for extra info on the Summit and to take part. In the meantime, you’re invited to take part within the Name to Prayer on Could 25—or at any time in Could.
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The African Union is the first host for Africa Day and the African Union International Interfaith Day of Prayer. The International Day of Prayer is being convened, not as a symbolic gesture however as a prophetic summons. A name for repentance, realignment and radical love for the Earth and each other.
Just lately, I used to be honored to be part of discussions about this name on the latest UN session on the Everlasting Discussion board on Individuals of African Descent Fourth Session that addressed these issues of life—together with by means of a religion lens.
