OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“Rivers of blood and of tears are flowing in Ukraine … War is madness! Stop, please! Look at this cruelty!” (Pope Francis, Angelus, March 6)
As casualties continue to rise in the Russia-Ukraine war, Pope Francis said the Catholic Church “is ready to do everything to put itself at the service of this peace.” During the Angelus on the first Sunday of Lent, our Holy Father made a special prayer to Our Lady, Queen of Ukraine, asking to end the violence of armed attacks in the country: “Above all else, I implore that the armed attacks stop, that negotiations prevail, and that good sense also prevails, and that there be a return to respect the international law.”
The pope also sent two cardinals to Ukraine with a mission to bring aid to the needy and assist with humanitarian efforts in solidarity with all Christians. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner (the person designated to perform acts of charity on behalf of the pope), and Cardinal Michael Czerny, interim prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, both left the safety of the Vatican to cross borders and put their faith into action — even in the face of danger.
So far at least two million refugees have fled their homes for neighboring countries; while thousands remain trapped without food, water or medicine, in what has become the fastest growing humanitarian crisis since World War II, Pope Francis emphasized his desire “to offer vital help to our brothers and sisters who are oppressed by the bombs and fear.” He also thanked all those who are welcoming the refugees during this tragic time.
Cardinal Czerny says theirs is a journey of faith and prayer. He hopes their physical presence will be a symbol of peace: “a silent and unarmed army, committed to rebuilding that humanity which weapons try to destroy.” As we embark on our Lenten journey together, the cardinal hopes that those who welcome migrants and refugees in need will share the “common hope that a world without war is possible, that violence and death do not have the last word.”
Pope Francis also expressed gratitude for the journalists who have travelled to Ukraine to cover the realities of this war: “I would also like to thank the men and women journalists who put their own lives at risk to provide information. Thank you, brothers and sisters, for this service. A service that allows us to be close to the tragedy of this people, a service that permits us to evaluate the cruelty of the war. Thank you, brothers and sisters!”
The pope invited all present in St. Peter’s Square to pray for the people of Ukraine and for peace in that country. He recited the Hail Mary and the crowd joined him.
For more on the Pope Francis messages on Ukraine and the Cardinals mission for peace in the war-torn region please visit the Vatican News website vaticannews.va and read their article on the cardinals’ mission in this issue of the Hawaii Catholic Herald.
CRS Rice Bowl
This messages of Pope Francis on the First Sunday of Lent and the cardinals’ mission of solidarity are consistent with the basic theme of the 2022 Catholic Relief Service Lenten Rice Bowl journey in which all the parishes in the Diocese of Honolulu are participating. This theme of bringing “Lent to Life” and providing relief to the most vulnerable is fundamental to Catholic social teaching and based in the Gospel option for the poor and showing solidarity with all those in need. Transforming their vulnerability into collective strength is another theme carried out in the CRS “Stories of Hope.”
This week’s Lenten Rice Bowl Story of Hope features a family of 11 in Bangladesh where the changing climate has made food security a challenge. However, with the help of CRS donations, farmers are learning new techniques to protect their land and keep their families happy and healthy.
For more for more on CRS Rice Bowl, see the sidebar and visitcrsricebowl.org/stories-of-hope/week-3. Let us pray, fast and share our gifts this Lenten season for peace and solidarity in war-torn areas throughout the world so all in need may experience the healing hope-full presence of God.
Mahalo,
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
TALK STORY OF HOPE
Noorobi feeds his family in Monpura, Bangladesh. (CRS photo)
Bangladesh
Monpura, Bangladesh, is a beautiful island surrounded by the Meghna River. To the south, beach views stretch into the Bay of Bengal. To the west are forests and gardens where wild deer roam.
But in some areas, natural disasters like cyclones damage the landscape in the summer and autumn months. Houses are lost, farmlands flood, and roads and dikes break. Residents like Noornobi, who lives on Monpura with his family of 11, are always looking for new ways to protect their homes.
Noornobi says his family was poor when they lived in a small hut with a tin roof and hay walls. Their land would flood often, making it difficult to grow vegetables year-round. Noornobi found day labor catching hilsa fish in the river, but some days work was limited. This made it difficult for his family to eat well.
When Noornobi joined Catholic Relief Services’ Mutki Project, he learned how to prevent his land from flooding, farm using chemical-free and organic fertilizers, and raise chickens and ducks to sell. Now, with the help of his father and nephew Abdul, Noornobi farms more than half of his land and grows a variety of vegetables — including tomatoes, chilies, eggplant and lal shak, which is like a red spinach. He sells the vegetables at market.
“We have been improving because of vegetable farming … we slowly began to make a profit,” Noornobi said. With that profit, the family bought a larger tin house. Noornobi also helped his brothers open a shop to support their family and pay for private schooling for Abdul, who wants to be an engineer, and his sister Nihar, who dreams of being a schoolteacher.
“If I can build a nice family … I will be grateful,” Noornobi said. And for his community, he hopes everyone can “have a full stomach by working hard in the field.”
