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Homeless Jesus

8/8/2020

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                                                                                                                        by Andrew Conradi, ofs (from various sources)

                NOTE:  This is an extra blog about the "Homeless Jesus". See my August blog below this one.
 
Vatican City, 23 March 2016 – A natural-size bronze sculpture of Jesus, represented as a homeless person resting on a bench, entirely wrapped in a lightweight cover with only his feet uncovered and bearing the signs of the nails of crucifixion, was located for the duration of Holy Week in the Sant'Egidio Courtyard in the Vatican, at the entrance to the offices of the Apostolic Almoner.
The work inspired by Mathew 25:34-46 was by the Canadian artist Timothy P. Schmalz, who had the idea of representing Christ in this original way after seeing a homeless man sleeping on a bench in the open air during the Christmas period. From Gospel to life in art!
 
A smaller copy was presented to Pope Francis during a general audience in St. Peter's Square in November 2013. The artist recounts that the Holy Father, upon seeing the work, touched its knees and feet and prayed.
The statue, donated to the Apostolic Almoner by the sculptor, is cast in bronze from the original. The first cast was located in Regis College, in the Jesuit Faculty of Toronto, Ontario, Canada after two other churches decline to accept it.
 
Its popularity is growing and there are about 100 other copies of "Homeless Jesus," with several now in Canada. One is outside Holy Rosary Cathedral, Vancouver, BC, and others abroad in Australia, Cuba, India, Ireland, Spain, the USA, and UK while another statue by Schmalz, "Whatsoever you do", is located at the main entrance of the "Santo Spirito" Hospital, Rome.
 
The castes are all the same. The only difference is in the photography i.e. the angle, distance and lighting which affect the clarity and some do not show the feet nail holes very well because they are in shade.
 
Schmalz intended for the bronze sculpture to be provocative, admitting, "That's essentially what the sculpture is there to do. It's meant to challenge people.”
The sculpture suggests that Christ is with the most marginalized in our society. The Christ figure is shrouded in a blanket with His face covered with the only indication that the figure is Jesus being the visible wounds on the feet. The life-size version of the work provides enough room for someone to sit on the bench. Pope Francis: “We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.”  (3 June 2020, General Audience)

The one now at the top of my blog shown below is outside the Papal Charities Building, Vatican City.
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The one below that was previously at the top of my blog is by Kelly Wilkinson (The Indianapolis Star, 2015) is in Indianapolis, 
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IN, Roberts Park United Methodist Church as part of the church’s efforts to raise awareness about homelessness in that city. The church staff, which provides free meals to the homeless every Sunday afternoon, defend the work as a provocative and public way to ignite a much-needed debate; but some find it insulting, demeaning, creepy even sacrilegious. One even called the police thinking it was a real person. It reminds us that anybody, at any given time, given certain circumstances, can experience homelessness. “Ninety per cent of the people, whether they be agnostic, atheist, or Christian, love the sculpture. However, residents are often seen sitting on the bench alongside the statue, resting their hands on Jesus and praying.
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They love the message. It points to the idea that all of human life is sacred and this is ... one of the great gifts that Christianity brought Western civilization and the world,” Schmalz has said.
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The morning of 17 August 2017, Holy Rosary Cathedral's Rev. Stanley Galvon found a homeless man sleeping beneath a statue of Jesus doing the same. STANLEY GALVON            ....Learn more

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FVC and the Common Good Blog - August 2020

8/2/2020

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​                                                                                          by Andrew Conradi, ofs, JPIC & Laudato Si’ Animator
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Pope Francis invites us to join the annual Season of Creation 1 Sept - 4 Oct
(See 1 min video produced in partnership with the Global Catholic Climate Movement)
What could we do to celebrate this Season of Creation?
See the Season of Creation website for ideas 
It is particularly rich for Catholics (mass, prayers etc.) that can be accessed here. 
​On the first website one of the listed partners logos is shown here:

How inspiring it would be to see OFS Canada’s logo as a partner! Perhaps our National Fraternity could consider joining?
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The Season is part of a wider movement to renew action called for by Laudato si’.
"Time has grown short"​​
You may remember in the June Common Good we highlighted that the Vatican through the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development calls for renewed action in a new document introduced 16 May 2020: Journeying Towards Care for Our Common  Home (Journeying).  It quotes "Time has grown short" (1 Cor 7:29) on the urgency in how to implement the action required by  Laudato Si’  (LS). Although not translated into English yet, enough is known about it to start thinking and planning action. (See a brief summary of the document here) 

Catholic communities around the world are invited to join a grassroots movement to gradually work toward “total sustainability” in the coming decade; including carbon neutrality, simpler lifestyles and the divestment campaign from fossil fuels.

Decade of Laudato Si' Action
The Coming Decade of Laudato Si' Action will feature 
a multi-year "Laudato Si' Action Platform " with its Seven Goals and in June we asked you to check out the OFM’s Laudato Si' Revolution website for initiatives and resources.

GCCM Canada has asked Andrew to present on the Laudato Si' Action Platform and Seven Goals as part of their webinar A Just Transition on 19 September. 
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The Editors of FVC and GCCM-Canada separately in quite different letters wrote to the CCCB Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace, 13 July asking them for strong leadership in this renewed action to respond to the cry of the earth and cry of the poor. 
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Action
​As a Season of Creation action we suggest that you ask your diocese, parish and group e.g. D&P, CWL, Knights etc. to become aware of Journeying Towards Care for Our Common Home.  Promote it and consider what they could do in volunteering to help organise a grassroots movement to advocate and work for justice, peace and care for creation.  "Time has grown short" (1 Cor 7:29) is an urgent call echoing through the scripture quote that opens these new Catholic Church operational guidelines for implementing Laudato Si’:
 
  • Ask your Diocesan, Parish, CWL, Knights etc. newsletters, facebook pages and other social media to promote this renewed call to action
  • Write letters, articles etc. to Catholic newspapers about what you are doing
  • Ask people to take/sign the Laudato si’ pledge
  • One parish, Holy Cross, Victoria, BC made magnetic fridge stickers of the pledge
  • Ask that all coffee, tea and sugar served be certified fair trade and organic
  • Ask for compostable paper plates and no single use plastic
  • Use tap water instead of bottled water where possible​​

​Eco-Parish Guide for Catholic Parishes

This free Eco-Parish Guide is a great resource for your parish to bring Laudato Si’ to life.
Developed in cooperation with GCCM’s partners around the globe, the guide is directed at Catholic parishes globally to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by addressing actions in relation to parish operations, the congregation, and the broader community. Inspired by Catholic Social Teaching, the Eco-Parish guide offers an active response to Pope Francis’ call for climate change action in his encyclical, Laudato Si’.
This free comprehensive guide explains how parishes can make a difference by:
  • forming green teams
  • reducing parish emissions
  • engaging parishioners on low carbon lifestyle choices
  • advocating for climate justice
  • caring for those harmed by climate change
 
                  If you want an example from Canada click here for one from Ottawa-Cornwall:
                                     Care for God’s Creation – A Guide for Parishes

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Inequality

A reminder on why we advocate in response to the cry of the poor: “Global ‘catastrophe’ looms as Covid-19 fuels inequality”.


Read the Guardian's, "Global ‘catastrophe’ looms as Covid-19 fuels inequality"
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 Water
The posting of an OFS USA article in FVC on water reminds me that general Franciscan articles no matter how good only go so far. I prefer to go from the general straight to the particular and concrete action tailored for Canadians in line with Laudato si’ 179 i.e. political when necessary. With that in mind I bring you: “What we know (and don’t know) about Nestlé’s departure from Canada”.

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Peace & joy, Andrew, ofs  - 31 July 2020
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    Homeless Jesus - Jesuits.ca

    Andrew Conradi, ofs

    ​What makes me tick is Catholic Social Teaching, now encapsulated in Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti. My view is that while the OFS Rule & Constitutions call us to courageous action in JPIC it seems to me our infrastructure, while saying the right things, is not always acting with the required urgency and forcefulness. It seems at times to be more self-sustaining and self-perpetuating and about the status quo. This risks being seen as irrelevant in the eyes of some, especially youth.

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    ​In encouraging us to be aware and act with urgency and forcefulness I can be seen to be a bit of a joyful nuisance. Forgive me for not apologising. “Jesus himself warns us that the path he proposes goes against the flow, even making us challenge society by the way we live and, as a result, becoming a nuisance.”
    (Pope Francis, 2018, Gaudete et exultate – Rejoice & be glad, n 90)
    After all, Our Seraphic Father Francis was a rebel (check out the 2018 book Francesco il ribelle by Enzo Fortunato, OFM Conv)
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    ​(Poster from Canadian Jesuits)
    BTW I am a Brit immigrant, ex Canadian high school geography and history teacher and Cold War armoured reconnaissance soldier. Other accomplishments include OFM JPIC Animators course 2014, Pontifical University Antonianum, Rome; JPIC Animator; Provocateur (Challenger); Enfant Terrible and sometimes definitely a deliberate NUISANCE! I am open to correction, chastisement, and/or teaching by email!
     apconradi@telus.net

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