Pope’s Prayer Intention September: People Living on the Margins

In the video containing the prayer intention for September, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, he asks us a question that should not leave us indifferent.

“How is it that we allow the ‘throwaway culture’ – in which millions of men and women are worth nothing compared to economic goods – to dominate our lives, our cities, our way of life?

And continuing on, he pleads with us: “Let’s stop making invisible those who are on the margins of society, whether it’s due to poverty, addictions, mental illness or disability.” Let us listen carefully to his message and do what we can substitute the “throwaway culture” with a “culture of welcoming.”

A homeless person who dies on the street will never appear among the top stories of search engines or newscasts. How could we have reached this level of indifference?

How is it that we allow the “throwaway culture” – in which millions of men and women are worth nothing compared to economic goods – how is it that we allow this culture to dominate our lives, our cities, our way of life?

Our necks are going to get stiff from looking the other way so we don’t have to see this situation. Please, let’s stop making invisible those who are on the margins of society, whether it’s due to poverty, addictions, mental illness or disability.

Let’s focus on accepting them, on welcoming all the people who need it. The “culture of welcoming,” of hospitality, of providing shelter, of giving a home, of offering love, of giving human warmth.

Let us pray for those people on the margins of society in subhuman living conditions, that they may not be neglected by institutions and never be cast out.