The Pope Gives His Blessing to The 431 Exchange
When last we left our Pope Project Story, we at The 431 Exchange had sent Pope Francis a New Orleans Saints t-shirt after the Holy Father had accidentally tweeted in support of our hometown team last year. (Read the original story.) In that first letter to Pope Francis, we also told him about the Adult Education Center, how its courageous graduates broke down color barriers, and our determination to continue the little school’s legacy with The 431 Exchange.
While we had hoped (and maybe even prayed a little bit) for a response, we really didn’t expect one. The Pope is a busy person. But a response is what we got, and what a response it is!
“We are so touched The Pope not only read our letter, but understands what we are trying to do: yes, build a better world.”
The letter arrived on thick white paper with the blue seal of the Vatican’s Secretariat of State. It was from Monsignor L. Roberto Cona on behalf of the Pope. The monsignor told us Pope Francis had read our letter and appreciated the t-shirt. But what blew us away was that the Pope was “gratified” by our commitment to education. “He trusts that those you assist through the scholarship program … will be renewed in their faith and be able to contribute to the building of a better world,” the letter said.
The monsignor went on: “Assuring you of a remembrance in his prayers, the Holy Father sends his blessing.”
The Pope gets at least 30 sacks of mail a week, according to the Catholic News Service. Those sacks contain countless requests for prayers for those who are ill and in need, sometimes desperate need. We are so touched The Pope not only read our letter, but understands what we are trying to do: yes, build a better world. We know that can only happen one step at a time, one scholarship at a time, one student at a time.
The Pope has said previously he believes there is “a moral imperative” to ensure “social justice and respect for human dignity … It bids us to break the bonds of injustice and oppression, which give rise to glaring, and indeed scandalous social inequalities.” At The 431 Exchange we’re committed to doing everything possible to make an impact on that inequality, and we’re so grateful for the support we receive from our donors, graduates, friends, and allies.
To be honest, we had also hoped to receive a a selfie of The Pope in the Saints t-shirt! But in the end, it doesn’t matter, because we are honored beyond description to know he’s on our team.