Standing in Solidarity with All
The Work of God in Human Hands: The following are excerpts from a pastoral letter issued by the 4 bishops of the state of Massachusetts, in February 2011. It both acknowledges the seriousness of our current economic situation, and is at the same time, a call to action. “We see … that the consequences of the recession have destabilized the provision of essential services, especially for the poor. We realize the unyielding pressures facing public officials. Thus we recognize the responsibility we have as Church to stretch our resources to the limit as we collaborate with others on behalf of the most vulnerable in our midst. Pope Benedict XVI , addressing the whole Church in his letter God is Love (2005), stressed that the work of charity is an imperative, not an optional choice for us… Love of neighbor, grounded in the love of God, is first and foremost a responsibility for each individual member of the faithful, but it is also a responsibility for the entire ecclesial community at every level…”
“Our present economic crisis is now three years old and does not promise easy or rapid resolution. … We pledge our Church to this project of recovery and renewal; it is the work of God in human hands.”
