The revolution of tenderness

The theme of tenderness returns several times in the magisterium of Pope Francis. In his first homily, at the beginning of his pontificate (19 March 2013), he stated: “We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!” And later, in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, in which he refers to tenderness 11 times, he writes: “The Son of God, by becoming flesh, summoned us to the revolution of tenderness.” (EG, no. 88).

In a world of hardened hearts, which contend in small and large daily conflicts or face each other in bloody and futile wars, how much we need someone to circulate a little tenderness in our poor humanity! In every sphere of existence, from family to religious life, from politics to society, from education to finance, an attitude of loving care and tenderness changes things. Because tenderness has a “revolutionary nature”, as Pope Francis says again (cf. EG, no. 288), it creates relationships based on care and love. Tenderness is simply love made sensible, expressed in small things, in humble, and often hidden gestures.

God himself is tenderness. We do not believe in an ordinary deity. We believe in God the Father. We are beloved children. In Jesus, God the Father loves us tenderly and takes care of us. By welcoming the tenderness of His love, we too learn to do those small gestures that reach the heart of our neighbour and kindle in them the love for the Lord and for His creatures.

The synod of the small seed

Sr. Simona Brambilla, MC

Communion is a gift from the Lord, who humbly asks to be received in the terrain of our heart and our relations. This gift has come down to us. Like a very little seed. Without any sound. Like a gentle breeze; like the morning dew; like the moonlight that refreshes, unites, and consoles, without blinding. At a certain moment, with a start of surprise, we became aware of its presence: the seed was there, within us and among us, and it showed itself in heartfelt smiles, in respectful words of truth, in the candies that someone brought and shared, in our spontaneously starting to call one another by our baptismal names, making do without titles, functions, and roles that perhaps indicate each individual’s different and essential functions, but fail to grasp the individual’s innermost identity.

Towards an “Anthropology of Tenderness”

Estrella Mariana Rodríguez Rodríguez, VDMF

In the audience he offered to the participants in the Congress entitled “Theology of Tenderness in Pope Francis,” held in Assisi from September 14-16, 2018, the Holy Father pointed to the need for a theology that arises from knowledge that is existential, not abstract, founded on the encounter with the Word made flesh. A theology that helps to understand and communicate that God’s action in human beings is personal and concrete, and that the transformation of each person’s being takes place in a journey of dialogue, affection and communion with the God whose love touches the heart. Francis calls this theology, a “theology of tenderness”.

Rooting Catholic Investments in the Lived Experience of Frontline Communities and the local Church

Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, FMA

In a speech on the 50th anniversary of Populorum Progressio, Pope Francis said: “The duty of solidarity obliges us to seek just ways of sharing, so there may not exist that tragic inequality between those who have too much and those who have nothing, between those who reject and those who are rejected. Only the path of integration among peoples allows humanity a future of peace and hope.” How might we transform f inance in ways that dismantle the profit maximizing logic of a technocratic paradigm, and focus on fostering attitudes of solidarity and integration among peoples?

Be bold and simple. Rereading the vows in the light of digital culture

Sr. Mercedes Méndez Siliuto, RA

The digital culture has fostered a sense of community, interconnecting us to other communities and/or provinces of our congregations, and by allowing us to exchange news, experiences, resources, concerns, joys, hopes... but it also involved other Church institutions and the whole People of God in this process. Now more than ever, we can really share, shape, celebrate and engage our faith together. Online meetings have not only allowed for spaces for fraternal sharing, but also for increasingly used spaces for research and discernment that make synodality possible. However, to create a common digital culture, it is necessary to create a culture of communication, that is, a desire not only to receive information and resources from others, but also to generate content of my own: sharing experiences, resources, and thoughts.

The contribution of teaching to the quality of education. The student-centered approach Angela Rinaldi PhD

Today we are witnessing changes of various types that are due to causes ranging from technological progress to social change to political issues (e.g. wars, pandemics, and humanitarian crises) to economic considerations. Nevertheless, the aspiration of every human being remains that which Paul VI affirms in Populorum progressio: “Today we see men trying to secure a sure food supply, cures for diseases, and steady employment. We see them trying to eliminate every ill, to remove every obstacle which offends man’s dignity. They are continually striving to exercise greater personal responsibility; to do more, learn more, and have more so that they might increase their personal worth.” (PP 6). It is therefore clear that education plays a fundamental role in the process of growth and development, not only of the individual person, but also for the communities to which every every man and woman belongs.

UISG Bulletin 183/2024