Pope in Romania/Sovereign Pontiff apologises on Church's behalf for moments when Roma people discriminated

Pope Francis asked for forgiveness on Sunday in the name of the Church to the Roma community in Blaj, for the moments along the history when they were "ill-treated", "segregated", or looked at "in a wrongful manner, with the look of Cain and not with Abel's" The Pontiff met at the end of his three-day apostolic, state visit to Romania with members of the Roma community with the "Barbu Lautaru" district. The meeting took place in the church that was consecrated two week ago, dedicated to Saint Apostle Andrew and Blessed Bishop Ioan Suciu. Pope Francis evoked on this occasion the personality of the martyr bishop Ioan Suciu, "who knew to give expression through concrete gestures to the wish of God the Father to meet each and every person, in friendship and sharing." "Still, I do have a weight on my heart. It is the weight of discriminations, of segregations, and of ill-treatment suffered by your communities. History says that not even the Christians, neither the Catholics themselves were ignorant with that huge evil. And for this I wish I ask for your forgiveness. I apologise on behalf of the Church, of God and to you for the moments when the long of the history, we have discriminated you, have ill-treated you or looked at you in a wrongful way with the look of Cain and not of Abel's, and never knew to acknowledge you, to treasure you and defend you in your specificity," the Holy Father said. He spoke about the biblical opposition between Cain and Abel, adding that when "someone is left behind, the human family does not move forward". "His brother has no meaning to Cain. Through indifference we nurture prejudice and instigate to hatred. So many times we judge recklessly, by using words that hurt with attitudes that seed hate and create distances! When someone is left behind, the human family does not move forward. We are not entirely Christians and not even human if we don't know to see the person before their actions, before our judgments and pre-judgments. In the history of humankind, there is also both Abel, and Cain. There is the handed hand and the hitting hand," the Pontiff said. The Sovereign Pontiff urged the faithful towards the path of Jesus: "A more exhausting path, but a path that leads to peace. And it passes through forgiveness." Pope Francis advised the people present to feel no grudge "because no evil is straightening another evil, no revenge gives satisfaction to injustice, no resentment makes good to one's heart, no closure in itself gets closer." "As a people, you have a role of protagonists you have to assume. You must not be afraid to share and offer those features specific to you that define you, that mark your way and we so very much need: the value of life and of family, in the large sense (...); solidarity, hospitality, help, support and defence of the weakest of the community; the valorisation and respect of the elder; the religious sense of life, spontaneity and joy of life. Do not deprive the society you live in from these gifts, but be available and do receive all those good things the others could offer and bring you," Pope Francis told the participants. "I arrived to this beautiful and welcoming country as pilgrim and brother, to life various meetings. Now I'm going back home enriched, taking with me places and moments, and especially faces. Your faces will give colour to my memories and will be present in my prayer. Thank you and I'll take you with me! And now I'm blessing you, but first of all I want to ask you a great favour: pray for me!" "The connection between the Roma community and the Greek-Catholic Church goes back in history. One of the most preoccupied to granting the Roma in Blaj spiritual assistance was Ioan Suciu, one of the seven martyr bishops beatified on Sunday by Pope Francis. Born in Blaj, Ioan Suciu has grown up with many Roma kids, and after graduating he dedicated a part of his activity to backing this community. The one known as 'The Bishop of the Young' unfolded catechisation actions with the young Roma. He has even organised trips for them or was playing football with them," said the Bishop of Curia of the Major Archdiocese of Alba Iulia and Fagaras, Claudiu Pop. According to him, Pope Francis insisted to go there and meet the Roma where they live.AGERPRES/(RO - authors: Marinela Brumar, Sorin Blada, Oana Ghita, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author, editor: Maria Voican)

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