Pope Leo: “Dorothy Day Took a Stand”

“I would like to remember a small, great American woman, Dorothy Day, who lived in the last century,” Pope Leo told pilgrims at his Jubilee audience on Saturday. “She had fire inside her.”

Reflecting on Luke 12:48-50, the pope pointed to the life of Dorothy Day as an exemplar of Gospel peace:

Dorothy Day took a stand. She saw that her country’s model of development did not create equal opportunities for all. She understood that for too many, the dream was a nightmare, that as a Christian she had to get involved with workers, with migrants, with those discarded by an economy that kills.

The pope noted that Dorothy Day united mind, heart, and hands in her witness: writing as a journalist to make people think, serving meals and giving clothes to the poor, and dressing and eating as those she served did:

She united mind, heart, and hands. In this way, to hope is to take a stand. Dorothy Day involved thousands of people. They opened houses in many cities, in many neighborhoods. Not large service centers, but houses of hospitality—places of charity and justice where people could call each other by name, get to know each other one by one, and transform indignation into communion and action.

This is what peacemakers are like. They take a stand and bear the consequences, but they move forward.

Pope Leo gave the bulk of his address in Italian, although he then summarized his remarks in English as well:

Dear brothers and sisters. As pilgrims, your time here in Rome unites desire and decision. Kindling in your hearts the fire spoken of in today’s Scripture passage and inspiring you to concrete actions born of that desire.

We see this same dynamic reflected in the life of an American Catholic by the name of Dorothy Day. Moved by the fire of love, she denounced the indifference of false peace and the injustices of her time.

Jesus also tells us that to whom much has been given, much will be expected. Let us never forget that the Lord asks much of us precisely because he loves us and wants what is best for us. Today we humbly ask the Lord to help us to recognize the many gifts we have been given and to show us how to take a stand in our own lives to promote a society that truly reflects the love of the Gospel.

Here’s the full text of Pope Leo’s address, translated from the Italian into English; a transcription of the original Italian follows.

Text of Pope Leo’s Jubilee Audience

The following translation from the Italian portion of Pope Leo’s address was made using several online translation services. A translation of the original Italian follows.

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome. For many of you, being in Rome today is the fulfillment of a great desire. For those who are on a pilgrimage and have reached their destination, it is important to remember the moment of decision.

Something stirred within you at the beginning, perhaps thanks to the words or invitation of someone else. Thus, the Lord himself took you by the hand, first with a desire and then with a decision. Without this, you would not be here.

It is important to remember this. And what we heard in the Gospel a few moments ago is also important. To whom much has been given, much will be asked.

To whom much has been entrusted, much more will be required. Jesus says this to his closest disciples, to those who were with him the most. And we too have received much from the journey we have made so far.

We have been with Jesus and with the Church. And even though the Church is a community with human limitations, we have received so much. So Jesus expects a lot from us.

It is a sign of trust, a sign of friendship. He expects a lot because he knows us and knows that we can do it. Jesus came to bring fire, the fire of God’s love on earth and the fire of desire in our hearts.

In a certain way, Jesus takes away our peace, if we think of peace as inert calm. But this is not true peace. Sometimes we would like to be left in peace, for no one to disturb us, for others to cease to exist.

This is not the peace of God. The peace that Jesus brings is like a fire and demands a lot from us. Above all, it asks us to take a stand against injustice, inequality, where human dignity is trampled on, where the fragile are silenced.

Take a stand. To hope is to take a stand. To hope is to understand in your heart and show in your actions that things must not continue as before. This too is the good fire of the Gospel.

I would like to remember a small, great American woman, Dorothy Day, who lived in the last century. She had fire inside her.

Dorothy Day took a stand. She saw that her country’s model of development did not create equal opportunities for all. She understood that for too many, the dream was a nightmare, that as a Christian she had to get involved with workers, with migrants, with those discarded by an economy that kills.

She wrote and she served. It is important to unite mind, heart, and hands. This is taking a stand.

She wrote as a journalist—that is, she thought and made others think. Writing is important, and so is reading, today more than ever. And then Dorothy served meals, gave clothes, dressed and ate like those she served.

She united mind, heart, and hands. In this way, to hope is to take a stand. Dorothy Day involved thousands of people. They opened houses in many cities, in many neighborhoods. Not large service centers, but houses of hospitality—places of charity and justice where people could call each other by name, get to know each other one by one, and transform indignation into communion and action.

This is what peacemakers are like. They take a stand and bear the consequences, but they move forward. To hope is to take a stand, like Jesus, with Jesus. His fire is our fire. May the Jubilee rekindle it in us and in the whole Church.

Italian:

The following text was automatically generated using an online transcription service.

Cari fratelli e sorelle, buongiorno e benvenuti. Per molti di voi, essere oggi a Roma è la realizzazione di un grande desiderio. Per chi vive un pellegrinaggio e arriva alla meta, è importante ricordare il momento della decisione.

Qualcosa all’inizio si è mosso dentro di voi, magari grazie alla parola o all’invito di qualcun altro. Così il Signore stesso vi ha presi per mano un desiderio e poi una decisione. Senza questo non sareste qui.

È importante ricordarlo. Ed è importante anche quello che dal Vangelo poco fa abbiamo ascoltato. A chiunque fu dato molto, molto sarà chiesto.

A chi fu affidato molto, sarà richiesto molto di più. Gesù lo dice ai discepoli più vicini, a quelli che con lui stavano di più. E anche noi abbiamo ricevuto tanto dal cammino vissuto fin qui.

Siamo stati con Gesù e con la Chiesa. E anche se la Chiesa è una comunità con i limiti umani, tanto abbiamo ricevuto. Allora Gesù si aspetta molto da noi.

È un segno di fiducia, un segno di amicizia. Si aspetta molto perché ci conosce e sa che possiamo. Gesù è venuto a portare il fuoco, il fuoco dell’amore di Dio sulla terra e il fuoco del desiderio nei nostri cuori.

In un certo modo Gesù ci toglie la pace, se pensiamo la pace come una calma inerte. Questa però non è la vera pace. A volte vorremmo essere lasciati in pace, che nessuno ci disturbi, che gli altri non esistano più.

Non è la pace di Dio. La pace che Gesù porta è come un fuoco e ci chiede molto. Ci chiede soprattutto di prendere posizione davanti alle ingiustizie, alle diseguaglianze, dove la dignità umana è calpestata, dove ai fragili è tolta la parola.

Prendere posizione. Sperare è prendere posizione. Sperare è capire nel cuore e mostrare nei fatti che le cose non devono continuare come prima.

Anche questo è il fuoco buono del Vangelo. Vorrei ricordare una piccola, grande donna americana, Dorothy Day, vissuta nel secolo scorso. Aveva il fuoco dentro.

Dorothy Day ha preso posizione. Ha visto che il modello di sviluppo del suo paese non creava per tutti le stesse opportunità. Ha capito che il sogno per troppi era un incubo, che come cristiana doveva coinvolgersi con i lavoratori, con i migranti, con gli scartati da un’economia che uccide.

Scriveva e serviva. È importante unire mente, cuore e mani. Questo è prendere posizione.

Scriveva come giornalista, cioè pensava e faceva pensare. Scrivere è importante, e anche leggere, oggi più che mai. E poi Dorothy serviva i pasti, dava i vestiti, si vestiva e mangiava come quelli che serviva.

Univa mente, cuore e mani. In questo modo sperare è prendere posizione. Dorothy Day ha coinvolto migliaia di persone.

Hanno aperto casi in tante città, in tanti quartieri. Non grandi centri di servizi, ma punti di carità e di giustizia in cui chiamarsi per nome, conoscersi a uno a uno e trasformare l’indignazione in comunione e in azione. Ecco come sono gli operatori di pace.

Prendono posizione e ne portano le conseguenze, ma vanno avanti. Sperare è prendere posizione, come Gesù, con Gesù. Il suo fuoco è il nostro fuoco.

Che il Giubileo lo ravvivi in noi e in tutta la Chiesa.