The testimony of Br. Jaime Campos, outgoing manager of the JPIC office

29 Aug
The testimony of Br. Jaime Campos, outgoing manager of the JPIC office

After seven years of service in the general office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, Jaime Campos returns to his province of belonging, the Province of the Holy Trinity in Chile. As an animator ofgeneral office of JPIC In fact, Br. Daniel Nicolas R. Blanco was appointed, officially head of the office since September 1, but who has already started his activity several months ago in support of the values ​​promoted by the Order, thanks to the collaboration with the manager outgoing.

“I arrived in Rome in the general curia in 2015 – says Br. Jaime -. I had been working for the JPIC office in my province in Chile for nine years and so I met the previous office manager ”. For this important organ of the OFM Curia, which now has four decades of history since its foundation (1979), those that have just passed have been decisive years. In fact, Pope Francis has published two fundamental encyclicals, Laudato Si ‘ (2015) and All brothers (2020), which focused on the themes of integral ecology and brotherhood among peoples.

“I see these Encyclicals as a great blessing and with a sense of justice – commented Br. Jaime -. Blessing because speaking to the friars with the support of the Papal Magisterium is different. Sense of justice, because I believe that the Pope has done justice to Saint Francis and to the Order. The content of the Laudato Si ‘ it is a reflection made by the Order in past years and then it is about two encyclicals linked to Franciscan spirituality ”.

The sensitivity of the friars on these issues, therefore, has changed a lot in recent years, also thanks to Pope Francis. Today 95% of the OFM Provinces have a JPIC animator, but there is still much more to do. “I see with great hope that the friars can discover the values ​​of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation – continued Br. Jaime -. Future work will have to go towards ever greater collaboration with the other offices of the Curia. I hope that the values ​​of JPIC will be carried forward with a missionary outlook and with a formative intent. For example in schools or by encouraging prayers for peace, as was done in the Holy Land ”.

Incredible steps forward had been taken before Br. Jaime’s arrival in Rome with regard to documents explaining JPIC values ​​and the creation of subsidies for the friars. “Something was missing to reach people, there was a lack of mediation of the content”, said Br. Jaime. Over the years, new means have gradually been developed: three websites linked to different themes and initiatives, as well as social channels and Telegram. “We wanted to ensure that concrete structures were developed to implement the ideas of the JPIC office: the Franciscan Network for Migrants it is, in fact, an example in this sense. Also Laudato Si ‘Revolution is a platform on which the values ​​and initiatives of the Laudato Si “.

Another step forward in recent years has been the consolidation of collaboration with the Franciscan family, for example with the support of many Franciscan sisters for initiatives proposed by the JPIC offices of the world. “JPIC is not a closed office and is not aimed exclusively at the friars: we want to involve people of other religions, civil society – explained Br. Jaime -. Thank God our work has to do with an anthropological as well as a religious significance. We want to be a meeting point between the ideas, desires and dreams of the Order ”. In addition to the internal work of the Order, the connection with the outside, like that with the Laudato Si ‘Movement, developed over time.

There are many noteworthy moments that have characterized the work of Br. Jaime in these years: “The encounter with the friars struck me in my work – has explained -. There are large scheduled meetings, such as those of the JPIC training courses at the PUA (Pontifical University Antonianum) and then there are other more free meetings ”. Br. Jaime remembers well all the great gatherings, such as that of February 2020, which brought together 70 people in Rome at the PUA, eager to deepen the themes of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation. Alongside these, also the fraternal meetings in the fraternity of the General Curia were fundamental: “I came from a small place, on the edge of the world, in Chile, and arrived in the center, in Rome – said Br. Jaime -. Friendship with the friars is beautiful, the support of friendship was important ”.

Another noteworthy meeting was that of November 2016 in Mexico: “I was very impressed by the encounter with the migrants of the La 72 house in Mexico: there I discovered people’s faces for the first time, their stories. There the prejudice that one has with migrants, when one thinks that they are people unable to do anything, fell into me. They were families like mine “. From that moment a new way of working was also inaugurated: to understand a problem, the friars of the general office of JPIC go to the place. “For us and for all projects it is important to take paths and have hope and discipline, without giving up before having experienced everything – concluded Br. Jaime -. We need to think about our long-term projects ”.

Beatrice Guarrera