On the last day of his trip to Mongolia, Pope Francis blessed and inaugurated the House of Mercy, a building intended to provide temporary shelter for homeless people and victims of domestic violence. The Holy Father stressed that the words that give the place its name “is the definition of the Church.”
The Church, the Pope indicated, “is called to be a welcoming home where everyone can experience a superior love, which moves and moves the heart; the tender and provident love of the Father, who wants us in his house as brothers and sisters”.
The House of Mercy, located in the central area of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, will operate in what was previously a school run by the Hospitaller Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres, thanks to the support of the Pontifical Mission Societies of Australia, “ Catholic Mission ”. It arose as an initiative of the local Catholic community, headed by the Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Cardinal Giorgio Marengo.
The Holy Father arrived at the site around 9:30 a.m. (local time) and was received in a ceremony that included singing and dancing by children who participated in the Catholic educational structure of Mongolia.
In his welcome message, the director of the House of Mercy, Brother Andrew Tran Le Phuong, a Salesian, thanked the Pope for his visit and assured him that this place seeks to “reach out to those who in some way feel marginalized from the society. We have created a home where everyone is welcome.”
“Our hope is to create a place of refuge for vulnerable people, especially women and children so that they can come together in a loving environment and feel valued, safe and at peace,” he said.
The Pope also heard testimonies such as that of Sister Veronica Kim, a nun of the Hospitaller Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres, who for eight years has dedicated herself to providing free care to the indigent at the Saint Mary of Mongolia Clinic.
Lucía Otgongerel, a parishioner of the parish of Santa María in Ulaanbaatar, “seventh in a family of eight”, also shared her testimony. She also assured her joy of being able to “speak here on behalf of thousands of people with disabilities”: “I “There are two arms and two legs missing, but I want to say that I am the luckiest person in the world because I made the decision to fully accept the love of God, the love of Jesus.”
The Pope thanked “from his heart the welcome, the song and the dance, as well as his words of welcome and his testimonies, which I think can be well summed up with some words of Jesus: ‘I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and they gave me a drink.
“From its origins, the Church took this truth seriously, demonstrating with works that the charitable dimension underlies its identity,” the Pope highlighted. “It is wonderful to see that, after so many centuries, the same spirit pervades the Church in Mongolia. In her smallness, this she lives from fraternal communion, from prayer, from selfless service to the humanity that she suffers and from the testimony of her own faith,” he added.
The Holy Father also highlighted that in charitable work “volunteerism is indispensable, that is, the service, purely free and selfless, that people freely decide to offer to those who need it; not based on financial compensation or any other form of individual retribution, but out of pure love for others”.
“This is the style of service that Jesus has taught us by saying, ‘You have freely received, freely give.’”
“Serving in this way seems like a bad bet, but by taking risks you discover that what is given without expecting a reward is not in vain; rather, it becomes a great wealth for the one who offers time and energy. Gratuity, in fact, lightens the soul, heals the wounds of the heart, brings closer to God,” said the Pope.
“In this country full of young people, dedicating yourself to volunteering can be a decisive path of personal and social growth,” he noted.
Pope Francis then specified that “the true progress of nations, in fact, is not measured based on economic wealth, much less those who invest in the illusory power of armaments, but rather on the ability to take charge of the health, education and the integral growth of the people.”
Then the Holy Father debunked three “myths” about charity and the Church. “Firstly, the one by which only wealthy people can commit to volunteering. The reality says the opposite: it is not necessary to be rich to do good, in fact, it is almost always ordinary people who dedicate time, knowledge and heart to take care of others ”, he explained.
The Pope indicated that “a second myth that must be dismantled is that by which the Catholic Church, which stands out in the world for its great commitment to works of social promotion, does all this for proselytism as if taking care of others was a way to convince them and get them ‘on your side’.”
“No, Christians recognize those who are in need and do everything possible to alleviate their suffering because there they see Jesus, the Son of God, and in Him the dignity of every person, called to be a son or daughter of God,” he stressed.
Pope Francis also indicated that “a third myth to unmask is the one according to which what counts would be only economic means as if the only way to take care of others were to hire salaried personnel and equip large structures.”
“Certainly, charity requires professionalism, but charitable initiatives should not become companies, but rather preserve the freshness of charitable works, where those in need find people capable of listening and compassion, beyond any type of remuneration,” accurate.
“In other words, to really do good, what is essential is a good heart, determined to seek what is best for others,” he noted.
At the end, the Holy Father recalled an episode in the life of Saint Teresa of Calcutta: “It seems that once a journalist, watching her bend over the malodorous wound of a sick person, told her: ‘What you do is beautiful, but personally I wouldn’t do it for a million dollars.’ Mother Teresa smiled and replied: ‘Nor would I do it for a million dollars; I do it for the love of God!’”
“I ask that this style of gratuity be the added value of the House of Mercy. For all the good you have done and will do, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and bless you. And please also have the charity to pray for me”, concluded the Pope.
Pope Francis then presided over the Hail Mary prayer and blessed the House of Mercy.