Pope Francis sends message to Mothers of Plazo de Mayo
(VIS) “The Holy Father shares your sorrow, and that of the many mothers and families
who have and are suffering the tragic loss of their loved ones at this moment in Argentina's
history.” These are the words that the Pope addressed to Hebe de Bonafini, president
of the Association of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, in a letter dated 10 April
and signed by Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, under-secretary for the Holy See’s Relations
with States. The Bishop of Rome thus responded to the letter that Hebe de Bonafini
sent to him this past 21 March, gladdened by Cardinal Bergoglio's commitment in the
“slums” of Buenos Aires and asking him to join with “all those in this unjust world
who are fighting for an end to poverty.” The Pope, writes Msgr. Camilleri, expresses
his gratitude for the letter and responds to “your kindness, asking God for the strength
for the fight, in the ministry that he has just accepted, for the eradication of poverty
in the world, so that the suffering of so many who are in need might cease. His Holiness
appreciates and highly esteems those who are close to the most disadvantaged and who
make the effort to assist them, understand them, and meet their aspirations. In his
prayers, he also asks that those responsible for the common good be enlightened so
that they might fight the scourge of poverty with effective, equable, and caring means.” The
letter concludes with the Pope's blessing “as a sign of hope and support, at the same
time asking the favour that they pray for and have prayers said for him.” The Mothers
of the Plaza de Mayo is an association of Argentinian mothers created in 1977 to denounce
the disappearance of their children during the time of the Military Junta that controlled
Argentina from 1976 to 1983. Since 1977 they have assembled every Thursday in the
Plaza de Mayo in front of the Casa Rosada (the “Pink House”, seat of the Argentinian
government) to protest for the crimes committed during that era and to keep alive
the memory of the desaparecidos.