Pope Baptizes the Son of His Friend, the 'Waste-Pickers' Leader from Buenos Aires

[gilliam]

In yet another highly significant expression of his love for the poor and the excluded of this world, Pope Francis yesterday baptized the son of Sergio Sanchez, the leader of the “waste-pickers” cooperative in Buenos Aires who was present at his inauguration as Bishop of Rome. He did so in a private ceremony at Santa Marta, the Vatican guest house where he resides.

The simple and profoundly moving ceremony took place at five o’clock Saturday evening, Oct. 31, in the chapel of Santa Marta. The child was born in Buenos Aires on March 20 and there are no prizes for guessing his name: Francisco!

In a brief two-minute homily before the baptism, Francis, wearing an ivory colored cope and speaking in a gentle voice, recalled how before Jesus returned to the Father in heaven, he instructed his apostles to go into the whole world and make disciples of all people, and baptize them. Ever since then, he said, the faith has been passed down from generation to generation in “an unbroken chain” to this very day, and little Francisco is the newest “link in that chain.” And when it comes to his turn to be a father he too will bring his child to be baptized, the pope added. He told the parents that their decision to bring the child to be baptized “is an option for life, it’s an option for hope, knowing that the Lord waits for us, and never fails us!”

americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/pope-baptizes-son-his-friend-waste-pickers-leader-buenos-aires

 

[graciew]

Waste pickers or cartoneros emerged strongly after the 2001 crisis. There were I believe over 30% living below poverty line( if my statistics are wrong , it was just an enormous amount of persons ,families).
Cartoneros looked into garbage for recyable material they could sell. It was a dignified way they found as a job and you could see families with carts doing this at dusk.
I live in the suburbs. We gradually got used to leaving our clean recyclable stuff tidy outside so that persons did not have to search into trash bags.
Eventually , Sanchez organized cooperatives to improve their conditions.
Strange as it may look ,and given the depth of that crisis , it was a creative way out to work to provide for the family.
A brief sidenote .A piece of our story.
Thank you ,Gilliam.