To mark the 600th anniversary of their presence in Spain, Pope Francis sent them a letter encouraging them to become missionary disciples.
By Kielce Gussie
For 600 years, Spain has been home to the Gitano people. To mark this anniversary, Pope Francis sent a letter to the community, encouraging them to “face the future with hope.”
Discovering the closeness of God
Misunderstanding, rejection, and marginalization have marked the Gitano community in Spain, as the Pope pointed out. But, he explained, even in most difficult times, they have “discovered the closeness of God” because God “has become a nomad with the Gypsy people.”
April 8 marks the International Day for the Sinti and Roma peoples.
The Pope highlighted the work the Church, the Gitano community, and the Spanish society as a whole have done in recent decades to close the gaps of injustice. Yet, he urged them not to stop “because there are still prejudices to overcome and painful situations to confront.” He enumerated a few: young people struggling to find jobs, teens dropping out of school, and women facing gender discrimination in their families and society.
A long-standing message
Pope Francis recalled a message his predecessor, St. Paul VI, gave to thousands of Gitanos in 1965. He said, “You are in the heart of the Church.” Pope Francis reiterated this message as well, calling the Gitanos in Spain “children of the Church.” A Church, he said, that will keep its doors open and allow the Gitano community to grow in Christian faith.
Walking together with diverse realities
This, the Pope continued, was discovered in the Synod—the idea of walking together in the diverse diocesan realities. He highlighted that the Gitano community has much to offer the Church and the world: “respect for the elderly and the sense of family; care for creation; the ability to maintain joy and celebrate even when there are dark clouds on the horizon; the meaning of work.”
In 2020, a camp was opened in Croatia for the Roma people
Thus, Pope Francis called the community to become missionary disciples and through their “words, commitment, and fraternity, be pilgrims of hope for so many people who have lost the joy of living.”
Examples to live by
Urging the community to walk together and keep the doors open, the Pope held up the examples of Blessed Emilia Fernández Rodríguez and Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla, who were both teachers of faith and life to the Gitano community. Both were martyred for their defense of the faith and both emphasized the importance of prayers.
Closing his letter, the Pope used the words of the Gitano anthem as a call to action. He urged them “to continue walking, to offer the best of yourselves, to transmit the tenderness of God” in their everyday lives.
