Integration and work

On Wednesday 25 May, Pope Francis met with representatives of the Global Solidarity Fund, a unique network committed to empowering the most vulnerable. The following is the English text of the Holy Father’s prepared speech, which was consigned to attendees.

Dear brother, Cardinal Tomasi,
Dear friends,

I am pleased to meet with you once again and to see the progress that you are making.

Your name, Global Solidarity Fund, is centred on a key word: solidarity, a core value of the social doctrine of the Church. Yet in order to make this word a reality, it needs to be accompanied by closeness and compassion for others, for people who are marginalized and for the faces of the poor and migrants.

The composition of the group that represents the Global Solidarity Fund here today is revealing: you belong to very different sectors of society, yet you work together to create a more inclusive economy, giving rise to integration and employment for migrants in a spirit of listening and encounter. This is a courageous path!

I thank you for the gifts you brought me from the migrants who are participating in your programmes in Colombia and Ethiopia. I bless each of you and your work. I encourage you to move forward in your commitment to support migrants and the most vulnerable by sharing your talents. And please remember to pray for me.