On Wednesday August 29th, a delegation from the West/Southwest IAF met again with Pope Francis at his Vatican residence, Santa Marta.
Despite his hectic schedule, the Pope spent 90 minutes with the group in a conversation filled with humor and wisdom. They discussed the organization's expanded organizing efforts in the region and deepening of the Recognizing the Stranger congregational strategy with the immigrant community.
The conversation soon delved into the responsibility to organize relational power and cultivate a healthy politics.
“Power is fleeting,” he said. ‘You either take it or lose it. It is more comfortable to lose it, but it is more problematic. If you take it, the future is more secure.”
The delegation emerged with his firm support for our network to engage with the Pontifical Commission for Latin America to foster organizing in the Americas, South and North, an initiative that originated from our network’s first visit with the Pope in 2022.
We closed with a favorite prayer of his from St. Thomas More, which ends with: “Grant me O Lord a sense of good humor. Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke and to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others.”
Pope Meets with U.S. Leaders on Immigration After 'Grave Sin' Comments, Angelus News [pdf]
El Papa se Reúne con Líderes de EEUU para Hablar de Inmigración Tras Comentarios sobre el “Pecado Grave”, Angelus News [pdf]
Pope Francis Meets with Leaders of the US Organized Communities, Vatican News [pdf]
El Papa Recibió a los Líderes de Comunidades Organizadas de Estados Unidos, Vatican News [pdf]
Houston Rabbi Travels to Rome for Meeting with Pope Francis, Jewish Herald-Voice [pdf]
A Way of Life Flavoured by Gospel, L'Osservatore Romano [pdf]
More Press in English
- Pope, U.S. Community Organizers Talk about Migration, Detroit Catholic
- Pope, U.S. Community Organizers Talk about Migration, New Outlook
- A Way of Life Flavored by the Gospel, L'Osservatore Romano
- Pope, U.S. Organzers Talk about Migration, Catholic Review
- Pope Encourages Catholic Community Organizers from U.S. to Act, Move Forward, Catholic Culture
- Pope, U.S. Organizers Talk about Migration, The Record
- Pope Francis Meets with Leaders of the U.S. Organized Communities, Herald Malaysia Online
- Pope Francis Meets with U.S. Organized Communities, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
- Pope Francis Meets with Leaders of the U.S. Organized Communities, Holy Spirit Catholic Church Onireke
- Pope Francis Meets with Leaders of the U.S. Organized Communities, Catholic Masses
- Pope Francis Meets with Leaders of the U.S. Organized Communities, Head Topics Malaysia
More Press in Spanish
- El Papa Recibió a los Líderes de Comunidades de Estados Unidos, Religión Digital
- El Papa Recibió a los Líderes de Comunidades de Estados Unidos, Europa Hoy
- Vaticano: El Papa Recibió a los Líderes de Comunidades de Estados Unidos, Aica
- El Papa Recibió a los Líderes de Comunidades de Estados Unidos, Radio Maria
- El Papa Recibió a los Líderes de Comunidades de Estados Unidos, Pira Política
- Comunidades Organizadas, Ética Social
More Press in Portuguese
- Papa se Reúne com Líderes das Comunidades Organizadas dos EUA, Notícias Cancaonova
- O Papa se Reúne com Líderes das Comunidades Organizadas dos Estados Unidos, Acervo Catolico