Pope to nuns: “Serving the least, not serving someone”
A statement that finds complete agreement spazio + spadoni who, for some years now, has been walking alongside nuns in different places in the world and offering them opportunities for growth and autonomy
A few days ago, Pope Francis made an important statement, preceded by a recommendation: “the mission of nuns is to serve the least, and not to be someone’s servants.”
The occasion was an audience with members of the Hilton Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that, in collaboration with a number of Vatican Dicasteries, aims to provide opportunities for training, growth and study for women religious.
Regarding this, the Pope added that “little has been invested” in this field and that “it is important that nuns be able to study and form themselves,” overcoming “a clerical and macho mentality.”
On the need to assign roles of responsibility and to create spaces in which women — and, specifically, women religious — can express identity, values and abilities, several important signals have already been given by the Vatican. One of these was, on January 6, the appointment of Sister Simona Brambilla as head of the Dicastery for Consecrated Life.
Then there are other female names in the Roman Curia, and the next one — from March — will be that of Sister Raffaella Petrini as head of the Vatican Governorate. A “governor,” then, who succeeds Cardinal Fernando Vergéz Alzaga.
In short, the path to recognition of what Bergoglio affectionately calls “nuns” seems unstoppable and cannot fail to find approval in the reality of spazio + spadoni.
Luigi Spadoni has been repeating this all along. And he doesn’t just say it, he does it.
The training and activities put on through the “Hic Sum Project,” in fact, are proof of this, a striking testimony of how one can promote a process of autonomy by providing the necessary tools and, above all, by giving confidence.
“The Pope’s statements totally reflect our thinking and give additional momentum and new stimulus to our work. They confirm that we are on the right track,” Spadoni continued.
Because, as he has already said on other occasions, “the presence of the sisters manages to generate works of mercy on every occasion, so we will always be at their side, to give them support and to help them grow and become multipliers of good. Especially in the poorest countries.”
In this regard, at the conclusion of the Jan. 22 meeting, Pope Francis wanted to emphasize the words “compassion, closeness, tenderness,” recalling that “at a time when the number of the excluded continues to increase,” it is necessary to “lift up those who have fallen.”
And the sisters, (also) know how to do this.
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- Vatican News