Pope Francis: Without Concrete Love, Our Lives Have "no weight"

The pope’s meeting with charity reps at Centro Paroquial de Serafina in Lisbon was part of his ongoing visit to Portugal and participation in World Youth Day.

Pope Francis talks with children during a meeting with charity workers at the Centro Paroquial de Serafina in Lisbon on Aug. 4, 2023. Vatican Media

Before going off script, the pope underscored that concrete love “is the origin and goal of the Christian journey” and spoke of two aspects of Christian charity.

First, he underscored the need to “do good together,” repeating “together” with the same emphasis he has used to speak of the Church being for “everyone” throughout his three days thus far in Portugal.

Citing one of the testimonials, Pope Francis said that we should never define people by their sickness or difficulty but should instead recognize that everyone is “a precious and sacred gift for God, and for the Christian and human community.”

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“In this way, let us enrich everyone together, and may everyone together enrich us, just as we are!” the pope said, words that resonated deeply in light of Portugal’s recent allowance of euthanasia, which Pope Francis criticized in his remarks to civil servants on Wednesday.

Then, the pope spoke of the need to act concretely. Borrowing from a 1960 homily by St. John XXIII, Pope Francis said that the Church is “not an archaeological museum” but “the ancient village well that provides water for the people of today, as it did in past generations.”

Pope Francis meets with charity workers at the Centro Paroquial de Serafina in Lisbon on Aug. 4, 2023. Vatican Media

“This well is for quenching the thirst of newly-arrived travelers — just as they are — who bear the weight and fatigue of their journey!” the pope said, going on to extoll Portuguese ministries and charities that responded to the concrete needs of people in their communities.

A third aspect, “being close to the most vulnerable,” was included in the part of the pope’s prepared remarks that he did not read, as was an extended reflection on the witness of St. John of God. The 16th-century Portuguese saint founded the Brothers Hospitaller and was known for telling those whom he begged from to “do good, brothers, to yourselves!” — a powerful witness to how charitable giving also enriches the giver.

The pope returned to the image of a well that quenches people’s thirst as he ended his impromptu remarks.

“Keep going and don’t get discouraged. And if you get discouraged, have a glass of water and keep going.”