Pope Francis offers an annual message to community organizations that work to empower marginalized people throughout the world. He addresses this message to the "social poets"  who "have the ability and the courage to create hope where there appears to be only waste and exclusion."  In delivering this message, Pope Francis recognizes that he is seen as a "pest" for raising structural sins that affect the marginalized community throughout the world. The consistent request that Pope Francis makes is for us to encounter and accompany one another, especially in our suffering.

Sisters and brothers, I am convinced that “the world can be seen more clearly from the peripheries”. We must listen to the peripheries, open the doors to them and allow them to participate. The suffering of the world is better understood alongside those who suffer. In my experience, when people, men and women, have suffered injustice, inequality, abuse of power, deprivations, and xenophobia in their own flesh – in my experience, I can see that they understand much better what others are experiencing and are able to help them realistically to open up paths of hope.

In making this appeal Pope Francis embraces the rather unusual role. Perhaps realizing how he is perceived by some when he is advocating for social and economic issues, Pope Francis seems to happily take on the role of the universal "pest."

And so, I persist in my pestering. It is necessary to confront together the populist discourses of intolerance, xenophobia, and aporophobia, which is hatred of the poor. Like everything that leads us to indifference, meritocracy and individualism, these narratives only serve to divide our peoples, and to undermine and nullify our poetic capacity, the capacity to dream together.

Pope Francis raises a set of nine concrete social issues related to the above mentioned concerns. He then reflects on the parable of the Good Samaritan and highlights the importance of encountering and accompanying the victim of injustice. Pope Francis suggests that the social response to the tragedy of George Floyd is the story of the Good Samaritan in our day.

As for real actions, Pope Francis concludes with some concrete considerations.

I often hear, “Father, we agree, but in real terms, what must we do?” I do not have the answer, and so we must dream together and find it together. There are, however, some concrete measures that may allow for significant changes... In past meetings we talked about urban integration, family farming and the popular economy. We have to go on working together to make them a reality, and now let me add two more: the universal wage and shortening the workday. 

In promoting advocacy and addressing systemic change let us reflect on the wisdom and challenge of our Holy Father with the courage to, like him, be a social "pest" that promotes the Gospel message of justice and peace and raising these social issues here in our own nation.