Pope Francis is adept at using social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook to convey messages. His Worldwide Prayer Network puts out a monthly prayer intention for groups in need. Through prayers, people in the world can offer their joys and sorrows to God, living out a sacred purpose in life. In early September, the recorded a video urging people worldwide to pay attention to “the people living the margins of society” and to pray for them.
The marginalised are those people and groups on the periphery of society, especially politically and economically, who are often at the lowest of social rungs. They are often invisible or voiceless, including the homeless, impoverished individuals, those with mental illness, people with disabilities, ex-convicts, and single parents among others.
In the video, Pope Francis passionately called on people to stop being “heartless” and to see their brothers and sisters in need who are going through difficult times. People have become accustomed to discarding things they don’t like, fearing that those things might become a burden to them. Over time, these marginalised communities have also become the objects of abandonment, especially the elderly and the sick. This “throwaway” culture of must be stopped and corrected.
We should instead promote a “culture of acceptance” and learn to embrace everyone in need as our brothers and sisters. Acceptance means welcoming, providing shelter, caring for those in need, and giving them love and warmth.
In Hong Kong, numerous Catholic organisations are engaged in charitable work, caring for the elderly and the vulnerable. Caritas Hong Kong, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, runs many services to address basic needs such as social services, education, healthcare, community affairs [including mainland China], and information technology.
The Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres, which is dedicated to serving the poor and marginalised, is also celebrating its 190th anniversary this weekend. They arrived in Hong Kong 160 years ago. The congregation provides services ranging from caring for refugees to aiding torture claimants, from early childhood education to nurturing and promoting youth participation in charitable services. They also establish refuges in many parishes to serve the homeless, elderly, and low-income families in the area. They distributes pandemic prevention supplies and food parcels, contact local Catholic schools to identify families in need of assistance, and promote mutual care between the young and old.
Let us open our hearts and ears, observe and listen closely to the voices of the marginalised communities—the voiceless ones—and bravely stand up to advocate for them. SE
