A persecution that hammers all of us

Photo: PxHere

Persecution is a term used mostly to refer to people of religion, but the impact of the cultural norms that have a tight grip on our lives today means  that, in a true sense, all of us are being treated unkindly, not superficially, but in a way that goes to the core of our being.

The nature of this ill-treatment was noted by Pope Francis last week, reflecting on his three-day visit to Hungary at the end of April. He spoke of how Hungarians take pride in how they stood firm as a people  during a turbulent history but more especially in modern times against the oppression, first of the Nazi regime, and in quick succession, against that of a Communist elite imposed by Soviet overlords. 

However, Francis explains that he found evidence "as emerged in meetings with young people and the world of culture" of another kind of oppression at hand in society. Francis says:

But even today, as emerged in meetings with young people and the world of culture, freedom is under threat. How? Above all with kid gloves, by a consumerism that anaesthetises, where one is content with a little material well-being and, forgetting the past, one “floats” in a present made to the measure of the individual. 

This is the dangerous persecution of worldliness, brought about by consumerism. But when the only thing that counts is thinking about oneself and doing what one likes, the roots suffocate. This is a problem throughout Europe, where dedicating oneself to others, feeling a sense of community, feeling the beauty of dreaming together and creating large families are in crisis. 

The whole of Europe is in crisis. So let us reflect on the importance of preserving the roots, because only by going deep will the branches grow upwards and bear fruit. Each of us can ask ourselves, even as a people, each of us: what are the most important roots in my life? Where am I rooted? Do I remember them, do I care for them?

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