Do not be ‘slaves to work,’ Pope advises families

Pope Francis has once again given the Catholic Church a welcoming face, rather than stern judgmental disapproval, saying divorced and remarried Catholics are “not by any means excommunicated” and that the Church should display “the heart of a mother”.

“The Pope’s intent was to say to people: there is an urgency on this issue”, said Frank Coleman, who manages Catholic Responsible Investing for the Christian Brothers Investment Services, which has resisted calls to divest the fossil fuel share of its $6 billion under management.

Pope Francis today stressed the importance of avoiding slavery to work, (above) describing society’s focus on economic gain as ‘putting the human rhythms of life at risk’. “Family life, seen with the eyes of faith, shows itself to be worth more than the effort it requires”.

Pope Francis turned to the workplace, explaining that – without interrupting our work – celebrations can “infiltrate” the environment when we honor events such as a birthday, a marriage, a new baby, a farewell or a welcome. “They are moments of familiarity that throw a cog in the production line”.

Unfortunately, he said, even in the modern world there are women and children who have been reduced to slave-like conditions.

But for Amy Domini, who runs Domini Social Investments, a mutual fund firm that says it seeks to provide strong returns for investors who “wish to create positive social and environmental outcomes”, the US Catholic Church has no choice but to reconcile its investments with the realities of climate change.

“Celebrations are a precious gift God has given the human family”.

“But is this why we work?”

Selfishness and fear keep too many people ignorant of the suffering of others and prevent them from finding creative ways to express solidarity and to promote peace, said a statement from the Vatican’s justice and peace office.

“The Sunday Eucharist brings to our celebrations every grace of Jesus Christ: his presence, his love and his sacrifice; his forming us into a community, and his way of being with us”. “The greed of consuming, which leads to waste, it’s a bad virus which, among other things, in the end makes us more exhausted than before”, he said.

The Pope also highlighted the role of the Eucharist in achieving a healthy family life.

In his weekly audience, the Catholic leader told followers it’s important to take time from work to enjoy life – even in tough times.