Nairobi, Kenya, Nov 26, 2015 / 23:41 pm
During his tri-nation visit to Africa this week, Pope Francis made a stop at a slum in Nairobi and praised those he met for their love of and emphasis on community and relationships – over what he called a vacuous, "unbridled consumption" that often plagues the West.
"I want in first place to uphold these values which you practice, values which are not quoted in the stock exchange, are not subject to speculation, and have no market price," the Pope said during the Nov. 27 meeting at a Jesuit church in the Kangemi neighborhood.
"I congratulate you, I accompany you and I want you to know that the Lord never forgets you. The path of Jesus began on the peripheries, it goes from the poor and with the poor, towards others."
Your values, he added, are "grounded in the fact each human being is more important than the god of money. Thank you for reminding us that another type of culture is possible."
The Pope was in Kenya Nov. 25-27 as part of a larger African tour that will also take him to Uganda and the Central African Republic later this week.
In addition to addressing the United Nations office in Nairobi during his stay in the country, the Pope also visited local priests, seminarians and religious. Tossing his prepared remarks to the latter aside, he issued a frank warning to them that if anything disgusts God, it's the attitude of indifference.
He also gave some practical advice, such as keeping the Lord at the center of their lives through prayer and the sacraments, and stressed that the Church is not a business, but rather a mystery intended to serve others.
On the afternoon of Nov. 26, Pope Francis attended a gathering at the football field of the local St. Mary's School, where representatives of Community of Sant'Egidio came with those who've benefitted from the organization in different cities throughout Kenya.