Fr. Lombardi editorial: Remembering "gratuitousness"

Crisis and gratuitousness

We are in the midst of an economic crisis afflicting the whole of Europe, and raising tensions, worries and anxieties throughout the world. It is a crisis that challenges the intellects and abilities of politicians and economists. In the midst of this crisis, the Pope’s speech to the young people gathered in Rome for the European Year of the Volunteer may provide a modest contribution to help rediscover a common hope.

The Pope asks us to keep in mind the idea of “gratuitousness”, of giving freely—that is, not living solely for one’s own interests, but living in such a way that we are a gift to others. The Pope had already spoken about this attitude of “freely giving” in his last Encyclical: “The market of gratuitousness does not exist, and attitudes of gratuitousness cannot be established by law. Yet both the market and politics need individuals who are open to reciprocal gift.” And he added: “In order for true justice to exist it is necessary to add free giving and solidarity”; “we need to go beyond the mere logic of the exchange of equivalents, of profit as an end in itself”.

These are not unrealistic, abstract notions, disconnected from reality; rather, they are truths that are rooted in the best experiences of everyday life, beginning with the life of the family.

Inspiring his young audience, the Pope recalled the words of Jesus: “Freely have you received, freely give” (Matthew 10.8).

In short, man does not live on bread alone, but also on the relationships between men and women who are truly free, who respect one another and take care of one another and love one another, beyond selfish calculations. It is from these relationships that mutual trust is rebuilt between people and populations. It is the fulcrum that is needed to lift the world anew.

Listen: