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Solidarity International
"The 'ambition' of doing Good for others should have NO limits!"
I. Definition
The Solidarity International Missionary Society is a private educational Network Society legally framed to function as an international Christian Outreach Ministry committed with a Pastoral document known as “Evangelii Nuntiandi“ [1], written by the Pope Paul VI in 1975. Paragraph # 8 is The Cornerstone of the Society: “Only the kingdom of God therefore is absolute and it makes everything else relative”. Despite having been conceived and created to help Communities, to help Democratic Societies, to promote real love, etc, The Solidarity Society is not a Community Society; it is not a Democratic Society and it is not even a Fraternal [2] Society. It is a Business Trade System Network, based on Bank account technology, with it's own private financial currency. It is not a barter system. No financial transaction, no membership! No recent transaction, no active membership. It is a private and international system of business, supported by a network of Christian leaders deeply committed with the “New Evangelization” spirit. It is, therefore, a private School of Christian Business, a private School of Christian Services. It was conceived to become a high-tech “Tool-Organization” for the “Evangelii Nuntiandi” Manifesto, cornerstone of Catholic Social Teaching and, by consequence, for the future ”Civilization of Life, Love and Light”, proposed by Pope Paul VI.
II. Status
After many years of work and prayer, hundreds of thousands of dollars, finally a dream is coming true: An International and, hopefully, final Pilot Project. The "Social-Dollar faith-based Brazilian Initiative” is poised to make a difference at a strategic level in the history of the 3rd millennium, shouting to the whole world, in practical terms, what Pope Paul VI boldly wrote to us, as a holy father, in paragraph #3 of his Evangelli Nuntiandi pastoral letter: “Only in the Christian message,the modern man can find the answer to his questions and the energy for his commitment of Human Solidarity". By the mercy of God and his Divine Providence, “The Pilot Project, almost ready to start, not only is open but welcomes any person, business or group, especially non-sectarian Christian Organizations, committed to help any person without any exception, into the New Evangelization spirit. Pope John Paul II, from the beginning until the end of his pontificate, called the whole Christian world for unity and creativity, in order to improve justice, peace and solidarity. Sad and disappointed, he asked, in his apostolic letter ‘NovoMillenio Inuente’: “How can it be that even today there are still people dying of hunger? Condemned to illiteracy? Lacking the most basic medical care? Without a roof over their heads? Now is the time for a new creativity in charity, not only by ensuring that help is effective but also by ‘getting close’ to those who suffer, so that the hand that helps is seen not as a humiliating handout but as a sharing between brothers and sisters.” We pray, we ask and believe that The Holy Spirit in His Divine Providence will guide and support us to assemble a team work and business coalition committed to create some sort ofstrategic framework to practice the Social Teaching of our Church at an advanced laboratory level. That's our Goal!
Now, when ideologies are being increasingly discredited, more than ever we need to repeat the words of Pope Leo XIII, when the Rerum Novarum ‘officially’ initiated the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church, more than a hundred years ago: “There can be no genuine solution of the ‘social question’ apart from the Gospel, and that the ‘new things’ can find in the Gospel the context for their correct understanding and the proper moral perspective for judgment on them…” A couple of years ago, to commemorate the first century of the Rerum Novarum, former Pope John Paul II also emphasized in his encyclical Centesimus Annus: “Today, at a distance of a hundred years, the validity of this approach affords me the opportunity to contribute to the development of Christian social doctrine. The ‘new evangelization’, which the modern world urgently needs and which I have emphasized many times, must include among its essential elements a proclamation of the Church's social doctrine. As in the days of Pope Leo XIII, this doctrine is still suitable for indicating the right way to respond to the great challenges of today”.
III. Nature and Purpose
Essentially a practical “Missionary Outreach System Network”, It is a “Tool-Organization” for the worldwide "New Evangelization Mission", started by the II Vatican Ecumenical Council and boosted by hundreds of New Ecclesial Communities plus the Charismatic Renewal Movement. The Solidarity Missionary Society was conceived, therefore, to serve in synergic contribution towards the integral promotion of individuals, families, organizations and communities focusing initially at the human survival level. Working fundamentally as a private supplementary economic system, it was also carefully designed to preserve and improve the normal flow for the already established official government tax revenue. It is totally open to the public, under the legal terms of the membership agreement, without any restriction -except those implicit by the agreement- especially to those in extreme need, the outcasts.
Active membership starts with the first business transaction paid with social-dollar, only possible between members of the Society -Persons or Organizations- and only by nominal transfers, therefore it is impossible for transactions to be made anonymously. Initially, pedagogically speaking, we could say that “nothing is free”, at the ‘first’ or ‘initial’ level [3]. Members pay and charge more naturally, always. They -members- pay always, and they charge always, implicitly, naturally. Members must always offer something valuable; and should always receive something valuable. They must circulate assets, any possible asset, tangible and non tangible. The astonishing and even unimaginable power of money to do good or evil does not comes from money itself, but from the intense circulation of assets propitiated by the payment mediums, after making ancient barter practices, obsolete.
IV. Operation
At an operational level, we could say that every available valuable and tradable good or skill not accounted for and traded is lost. So, as a programmatic and pedagogic “Tool Society”[4], Account Technology, Bank Services, Data-warehouse applications, Insurance and Dispute Resolution alternatives are the Society’s material foundation. It depends on one Central Bank empowered with Information Technology. The SocialBank.org is the only global and strategic offshore Financial Management System that operates like an online foreign Credit Union and Central Bank for the Society, managing it’s privately owned internal financial currency called “The International Social-Dollar” (I$). The Social Bank System is designed to integrate and control every member service related to the financial world (Account, Inventory, Credit, Insurance, etc.), always at complementary or parallel level, never a replacement for the official currency of the Country where each member lives. Local, public, official money, especially non-nominative paper currency -tender cash [5]-, as well as government tax enforcement collection systems, are absolutely indispensable for the survival of any civilized country; and are therefore also essential for the success of the "Social-Dollar faith-based Initiative", potentially a tremendous government ally in it's fight against poverty and injustices.
V. History
The Social Bank, as a Christian Social and Financial Project, originally named “The Social Profit Christian Network”, was created by a Brazilian Catholic Software & Policy Research Institution, named Pope Paul VI Foundation, established in 1975 in Curitiba city, Estate of Parana. The term “social” was used specifically to link the Project with the connotation intensively used by the Catholic Church worldwide, as opposed to eventual superficial or even recreational connotations for the word 'social'; and also to intentionally establish future associations with similar terms or public expressions like social-service, social-work, social-project, social-security, social-credit, social-medicine, social-fund, social-business, social-rent, social-policy etc. In 1981, The Pope Paul VI Research Foundation created the first hybrid, account-based, transnational virtual-currency concept in the world, tested in Brazil for 2 years -1988/9. At that time it was named Social-Dollar/Time-Dollar -Social Bank, Time Bank- because it is, in practical terms, to some extent, a dual-currency hybrid. It is one nominal asymmetrical integration of two currencies, based on account records and never in paper currency (cash); designed to use any other medium of exchange, from paper checks to recorded voice transfers. It was, therefore, carefully conceived to dynamically (asymmetrical account integration) empower and help especially unemployed people, even those coming from jail, drug recovery programs, from extremely poor neighborhoods, etc. Born out of prayer, such economic interdependent sub-system can work thanks to several ingenious elements that makes the Model truly unique, when compared with other complementary/alternative currency experiences already known, until 1987, when the Social-Dollar / Time-Dollar was pre-tested internally by the Foundation's staff, volunteers and board of directors. The Social-dollar fiat model ('fiat'+ central bank) is also unique because it holds a “parity-level” technique. The “parity” formula and praxis will be publicly revealed and improved during the final Pilot-Project implementation. It was conceived as a laboratory of innovation, for future practical implementations of some key principles defined by The Catholic Social Teaching, and created to work smoothly with the Social-Dollar concept, integrating the Social Bank account and the Time Bank account into one consistent, not-for-profit, transnational, community-oriented advanced technology.
VI. The Model
Being extremely flexible, the Model is able to exchange any foreign currency, integrated to everyday transactions in social-dollars, deeply focused on the promotion of a new kind of economy of communion, and supported by a Ministry Automation Software and Database Model [6] created by the same Foundation from the beginning of The Social Profit Christian Network Project. Flexibility, therefore, was a major 'keyword' in the creation process, as well as freedom from any specific "medium of exchange", supported by mission-critical, real-time, online account technology. Nominal or nominative-based transaction was another major 'keyword' as well as a not necessarily secret balance (tested in Florida in 1992). Foreign Exchange Fund, Insurance partnership and trans-nationality were also indispensable factors.
The Solidarity Society, even to date better known as “The Social Profit Christian Network” (remaining as fantasy name), shares the same spirit of The‘Economy of Communion Pilot Project, just emphasizing in more practical terms the extremely important concept of "inter-dependency", from international level, to community level and even at a family level. The "Economy of Communion Project" is a wonderful, real life, ongoing and International experience; 100% based on the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church, particularly it's tri-foot foundational concept: "solidarity/reciprocity/interdependency", but not yet legally and technologically ready to use a trans-national, advanced financial currency, like The Social-Dollar. We strongly believe that a trans-national Social-Dollar will be the most powerful ally to promote a new international level of " Interdependence for Life", able to evolving from solidarity towards not only a 'comfortable' interdependency, but a desirable, joyful fraternal kind of natural interdependency, boosted by a "divine-diplomacy", preached" by Criara Lubich for more than 50 years.
VII. Benefit sample
In order to maximize community benefits and achieve concrete results as fast and simple as possible, The Social Bank Project is committed to being unafraid to invent and innovate in every possible reasonable field, keenly aware that the excess of prudence, could be the beginning of a cowardly omission. For example, we are working to create some specific low-cost Internet wireless devices, promising interesting results, in favor of homeless people: The first multi-sound digital beeper designed for homeless, [7] ever. This beeper projected basic model -with no built in GPS-, can be extremely inexpensive, since it is disposable, sealed, with no commercial value. One hundred percent maintenance free, this beeper will have no changeable batteries, no buttons to control and no display, just the Social Bank 24x7 toll free # plus the beeper # engraved on it. In addition to being able to inform such account holder (beeper user) about possible temporary jobs, therapy or training, as well as messages from his family, without compromise his freedom, The Social Bank can easily utilize voice recognition technology as signature for food or shelter payment, from the homeless account, if the service provider or other vendors also have an account with the Social Bank. Many other ingenious and non-paternalist solutions would suddenly become possible within such a Mission, which would then be poised to make the difference also at the operational level, for the future and imminent second phase of 'The Economy of Communion', worldwide.
VIII. You are welcome
Wouldn’t it be fun and wonderful, for example, to integrate the "down to earth" Catholic Relief Service’s Paper Account Kit for micro-banks in the poorest slums of the world, with the Social Bank's Microsoft-.Net cutting-edge online account (royalty-free) software technology? In the current world of opportunities, being able to use or combine, from the state-of-the-art ATM cellphone and mediums like the Brazilian’s waterproof -almost indestructible- currency, to a single paper check printed out from our website, all the way to a homeless beeper transaction or security debt over a pay-phone call, represents an exciting challenge and feasible opportunity. Concluding, if you want to help us to define the best collection of strategic partnerships, exchange media elements and hi-tech solutions in order to expedite our next pilot phase, please pray for us and do whatever the Holy Spirit inspires you to do. Albert Einstein used to say that "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile". The founder of the Pope Paul VI Foundation and the Social Bank & Trust Ministry Project deeply believes that “doing good for others should be a priceless lifelong ambition”. And for those already owners of such a blessed holy ambition, he boldly proclaims that: “The ambition of doing good must have no limits!” And if you don't know how to start, in practical terms, in your own life, and are really serious about it, here is an infallible road-map, the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, if done with a sincere heart. That's the best kept secret of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The Missionaries of Charity's Order she established, begin each day by reciting this prayer:
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
(And by the way, don't get distracted by the sterile and irrelevant, polemic whether St. Francis is or not its true author. Let's Praise the Lord if any St. Francis spiritual son or daughter, humbly following St. Francis example lend his hand and mind so that the Holy Spirit would be able to write it, and then granted the authorship to St. Francis, who overwhelming deservers it. Or some wise publisher surprised by such powerful prayer, somehow linked to the Franciscans, immediately recognized the whole life of St. Francis "incarnated" on that and, Glory be to God, name it after him. What should we prefer: become someone which life will ultimately reflect that prayer? Someone determined to really "walk to walk", or one more "talk to talk" mediocre person, among millions? That's up to each one of us to decide.)
ENDNOTES:
1. Here is the “Evangelii Nuntiandi“s paragraph #8 plus the Holy Scripture reference. Please take your bible and check how deeply it is founded on the Word of God and remember: "If you do not receive The Kingdom of God like a little child, you will not be able to enter into It”, said The King.
As an evangelizer, Christ first of all proclaims a kingdom, the kingdom of God; and this is so important that, by comparison, everything else becomes "the rest," which is "given in addition."[16] Only the kingdom therefore is absolute and it makes everything else relative. The Lord will delight in describing in many ways the happiness of belonging to this kingdom (a paradoxical happiness which is made up of things that the world rejects),[17] the demands of the kingdom and its Magna Charta,[18] the heralds of the kingdom,[19] its mysteries,[20] its children,[21] the vigilance and fidelity demanded of whoever awaits its definitive coming.[22])”
16: Cfr. Mt. 6, 33 -17: Cfr. Mt. 5, 3-12 -18: Cfr. Mt. 5-7 -19: Cfr. Mt. 10. - 20: Cfr. Mt. 13. -21: Cfr. Mt. 18. -22: Cfr. Mt. 24-25.
“The Testament of Pope Paul VI”: Brazilian Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves remarks at the 25th anniversary of the “Evangelii Nuntiandi”
2. The Society's major challenge is to remain open to serve any human being, in a world plagued by all sorts of frauds and fights, The Society must be prepared, therefore, to offer much more arbitration services, escrow services and other insurance alternatives than “donuts and coffee” meetings, much more internal enforcement services (strong bylaws, penalties & regulations) and security policies than unreal communities "fraternal" goals. "Tough-love" is the main key-word for the success of the entire project.
3. Everything should or at least could be free, at highest levels. For example, the Christian principle: “Don’t let your left hand know the good done by your right hand” is the ultimate perfect goal, as a high Christian virtue. Anonymous donations, volunteer work, charitable works performed with no intention of financial gain or personal recognition is an essential part of the only real vocation for every Christian person: Be Holy! A call for holiness seems to be the only perfect Will of God for every human being.
In other words, let's state it, abundantly clear, a key principle from the
Catholic Social Doctrine about that: "Any system in which social
relationships are determined entirely by economic factors is contrary to the
nature of the human person and his acts." (Centisimus Annus, 24)
4. Surely the Society must be and will be ready, with the grace of God, to change any ‘praxis’ or policy not coherent with the “Evangelii Nuntiandi” Manifesto and the fullness of The Social Teaching of the Church, where we believe the Evangelli Nuntiandi is The Cornerstone. Being so, inside The Solidarity Society, the intensive use of high technology, for example, will be always subordinated to the highest ethical standard. The moral order and the natural law will be always the basic foundation even for the existence of the Society, carrying also in its name the adjective “missionary”, because “Integral Evangelization” incorporates all the complementary aspects listed below, but only reaches fullness when ordered to explicit proclamation, whenever and wherever possible.
- The Good News embodied in Human Promotion and Liberation, as Christians stand in solidarity with the poor and excluded members of society.
- The Good News shared through Presence and Witness, as Christians live their faith in the ordinary events of daily life
- The Good News experienced in Liturgical Life, Prayer and Contemplation, as Christians celebrate their sacramental life and intimacy with God .
- The Good News manifested through lnter-religious Dialogue, as Christians experience the dialogue of salvation with persons of other faith traditions.
- The Good News expressed through Proclamation and Catechesis, as Christians explicitly communicate the Gospel and welcome believers into the Church.
5. The Social Bank does not plan to have a non-nominal -secret, anonymous- tender currency, but only nominal transactions. By consequence -although it may seem to be paradoxical, according to the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church, despite some negative effects, we must defend the invaluable civilization and human value of the secret, public money, especially to defend communities from the greed and the lack of freedom from non-democratic countries. Unfortunately, since the advent of credit and bank cards, the privacy and freedom tied to anonymous money are becoming smaller every single day.
6. Please see "Technology Status and it's history" below, at the end of the present document.
7. Only in Orlando FL, where the Social Bank Lab-experiment inside the Diocese of Orlando helped The Homeless Health Care Center to build up their first computer network during the year of 1999, we witness the assistance of more than 10,000 homeless persons in that year alone. Homeless Health Care Center.
Basic criteria to become a Social Bank Officer or Officer Assistant:
Officer Assistant: If you are a mature, committed, Christian Person (Catholic or non Catholic: the only absolute requirement for non Catholic brothers and sisters is respect), therefore strongly believe that Jesus Christ is, indeed, God. And sincerely feel ready to pray the Father Charles de Foucauld’s Prayer of Abandonment, plus the Cardinal Merry del Val's Litany of Humility -both transcribed below-, you are eligible to become a Social Bank Officer Assistant.
Officer: If you are an Evangelist, Catechist, Preacher, Bible Teacher, Deacon, Nun, Prayer Group Leader, Ministry Coordinator, Youth Christian Mentor, and, obviously, Priest or Pastor, male or female, lay or clergy, retired or not, with sincere respect for the Roman Catholic Church and truly comfortable with the deep meaning of "The Prayer of Abandonment” and the "Litany of Humility" for your own life, you are eligible to become a Social Bank Officer, after a personal consecration to the Holy Spirit, in order to serve and adore Christ The King, as an instrument of the Divine Providence and God's Mercy on Earth. One Special personal commitment: Educate others, as much as possible, to have a deep love and understanding of the Lord's Prayer, The Our Father, the perfect prayer. Every Social Bank Officer if not already, must become devoted and expert about the "Lord's Prayer", which obviously includes the duty to also pray it faithfully, every single day.
Why such "rigor"?
The digital capital, in a one-to-one marketing environment, will build the next world economy; and we want, we choose, to direct it, to influence it, towards solidarity and a cooperative direction. We refuse to believe it will be practically impossible to legate a better world for our children, a better future, than our forefathers gave us. Surely we are talking about “Better” in a deep sense, and not only about less violence or more comfort… And in that sense, that is what really matters, we do not believe it will be possible to make it more just, humane, moral, caring and peaceful without Christ (He told us: “without Me, you cannot do anything” and He is The Prince of Peace.). Jesus warns us clearly about the Kingdom’s high standards: “If your Justice does not surpass a pharisaic justice, you will not enter the Kingdom of God”. We cannot settle for less or lower our standards, ever. Even the best in the secular world, like Zig Ziglar, considered to be one of the most inspiring speakers of all time, armed with powerful eloquence and even human justice, cannot barely scratch the deep meaning and power present in the Spirit of the Christ message. Ziglar reminds us, for example, that “You can get everything in life you want, if you help enough other people get what they want”. But empowered by the Holy Spirit, we Christians should say to ourselves: We cannot worthily get anything in life we want; if we do not help enough other people get what they need, at least, to survive with dignity. Only the Holy Spirit can make the difference in us, He is ready to empower every human being committed to follow Jesus Christ to be salt of the earth and light to the world. Just to illustrate how each one of us can avoid lowering his own standards, by the power of The Holy Spirit, Mother Teresa of Calcutta taught us that “People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered, but forgive them anyway”, she insists. “If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy Anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them, anyway.”
So, despite being a Christian Project, a Christian Initiative and a Christian Work strongly committed with the Pro-Life / Pro-Family Movement, even with such rigor, judging from the way life is going, it will be very difficult to keep it a unique, authentic, and faithful Christian Kingdom Agency, forever. Also, related to the Project identity, if Christ ordered His disciples, always, everywhere and for the entire humanity to spread the Good Tidings “in the light of day” and “from the roof tops”; how much more honest and transparent should be our intentions and principles of action when presented to our brothers and sisters in Christ? So let’s state very very clearly, for example, among other Catholic commitments, once and forever, that Mary, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, will be always present in this Mission-Project and in it’s future achievements, as the “Star of the Evangelization”. We don’t believe people that don’t love and respect their own mothers can find real peace in this life. How much more should we respect with wonder and gratitude, for the glory of God, such a singular woman that freely decided to say YES! to the Divine Will, elevating the human race like no other person, until the end of the human history. Being a real mother of God made flesh, (because Jesus for us is God, not less), even the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary should inspire to all sincere Christians, a higher level of respect, deeply associated with the respect we owe to our natural mothers. By consequence, Christians not so grateful to Mary, or indifferent, must at least respect others who with special devotions and public veneration are determined to honor the holy mother of Christ.
Prayer of Abandonment
Fr. Charles de Foucauld
Father, I abandon myself into your hands.
Do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do I thank you.
I am ready for all. I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul.
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart.
For I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself
into your hands without reserve and with boundless confidence.
For you are my Father.
This beautiful and powerful prayer, but one hard to say with a sincere heart, was composed by Farther Charles de Foucauld, a Catholic Monk, while he was in the middle of the SaharaDesert, in North Africa, where he was coldly killed.
Litany of Humility
Cardinal Merry del Val
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
Fromthe desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus. (repeated...)
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
Fromthe fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…
Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val, was Secretary of State for Saint Pope Pius X
Why the special focus on The Lord's Prayer, The "Our Father" ?
Because it is deeply sad to realize how small a percentage of Christians that pray the "Our Father", The Lord’s prayer, within the minimum level of understanding and conscience a normal adult Christian should require from himself. And it happens from the first word -our Father, not my Father-, to the last one -deliver us, not only me-. And we mean, "should require" to avoid practical insanity, by cumulative effects of years of irresponsible religious behavior. Eternal salvation is terribly important, crucial, and we cannot take God lightly, when eternal life and death is at risk, without facing the consequences of our actions. An inspired one already said that we could synthesize the end of the world, the "Final Judgment", in just two sets of "auto"-sentences or self-sentences: a) Saved people, will face God and, radiantly will pronounce: Thy Will be done, Lord! Then, b) God, turning Himself, will face the other remaining people (hopefully a small crowd) and will just tell them: “thy will be done!”
We cannot say “our Father” without sincerely and implicitly accepting as my brother, every human person, especially Christians, which should give us immense joy. Otherwise it would be hypocrisy, so many times condemned in the Divine Scripture. Do we pronounce, "Thy Will be done" and don't really care about His Will? God’s Will for us, besides implicit obedience and respect towards Him, is Human Solidarity. Do we practice solidarity? Do we understand that if we do not love everybody, we do not love anybody? Surely we are not suggesting renunciation to justice and fair punishment, exactly the opposite, and we must call that, tough love, true love.
Our Lord linked the entire Final Judgment, with just one radical identification binding: Himself with any Human Being, especially His followers. On that day, He will say to each one of us: "Whatever you do to men, you did to Me; whatever you failed to do, It was to Me that you didn’t do it”. Therefore, the same Jesus 'you' love when helping let's say 5 -or 500- poor children, is the same Jesus 'you' hate, if ignoring just one old co-worker, that did "some evil" against 'you' many years ago. Indifference is, indeed, one of the worse kinds of hate we are capable of, and The Final Judgment is based not much on what we did wrong, but over what we failed to do: “Away from Me, evil doers, because I was in prison and you never went to visit Me; I was hungry, and you never….ME. I was… and you never…”. omission, omission and omissions!
Unfortunately, here, we are not meaning nor reflecting about mystical levels of consciousness, where we should understand, for example, that even life in this world would not be worthwhile, if was not for the fact that we were rescued by such a Holy Redeemer. We are pointing to the fact that we cannot be a normal adult human being, if we pray to God the prayer Jesus taught us, every day of your life, without really meaning at least part of it. Do we ever say, sincerely, to our Divine Creator: "Thy Kingdom come"? (...) If our prayer doesn’t become life, what kind of “life” can we have? "A Faith that does not become Culture, is not a Faith lived with fidelity" (Pope J. Paul II). It's salt that does not flavor; and tasteless salt is good only to be thrown way. That’s just one reason why it’s absolutely impossible to be a authentic Christian person and be pro-abortion at the same time, or in favor of homosexual marriages, for example. Likewise, it is absolutely impossible to be a Muslin believer and terrorist, at the same time. Calling such murder on-demand "pro-choice", is just another repulsive euphemism like the new label of "insurgent" or "revolutionary" for mass-murder suicide terrorists. This kind of satanic and therefore pseudo martyrdom, is one of the most extreme kinds of evil ever, in the history of mankind.
Do we really "order" Him to forgive each one of us with the same ‘size',' amount’, of forgiveness that we used with others? Do we really want God to evaluate the amount of our love for Him based on the love we have for the person that we hate the most, or love the least, in the entire world, at any time of our life? Do we really insist, every morning: "Please Father, I beg you, do not let me fall into temptations today"?, and “do not let me, my wife, my loved one be a victim of some tragedy?” Do we ask, deeply, “please deliver us from all evil”, as our Lord personally taught us to do every day? Or just repeat empty words? Unfortunately, it is not possible to do a good retroactive examination of conscience. If possible, Christians that do not frequently ask God to help them not to fall into temptations, surely would be shocked to account for some real sins, in a weekly basis -if not daily-, always with more or less painful consequences. And beginning with that daily reality of small sins, to the day when human nature committed adultery, or accepted a ‘deal’ to make a lot of quick money, it is just a matter of time before we suffer the, eventually, horrendous consequences. When we ask God almighty for "our daily bread," for the sake of an infinite sacrifice that His Son Jesus did for us, do we understand the obvious inclusion of clothes, shelter, food, medicine and so on, in the meaning of the word "bread"? And after asking, if meaning so, sincerely, that obvious wide-sense, do we really trust that He will give it? Will give it -not sell it- and for "free"? And we mean free especially -not only- when He blessed us, just or unjust, day after day, with health, talent and the job opportunity to work and be paid for.
Yet, how far worse, if we think about the scope of just this segment: "Our Daily Bread". Did His Holy Scripture warn us, with some kind of disclaimer? A biblical “Our Father” liability disclaimer, declaring solemnly: “Hey folks! I’m sorry but, that part of the prayer -Our Daily Bread-, will not work in starving countries like Somalia, Congo or in time of war, ok? I’m ‘God’ but, please, give me a break!” Of course not. The Divine Providence is absolutely infallible, otherwise it would not be divine. But only -and here is the key- for those who really trust in Him. God is no fool! Trust is a pre-requisite even to someone negotiating housekeeping services; we must trust our entire life to someone else, just to take an airplane, in addition to having to pay for it. (And, please, let’s not be funny: If living in Cuba, for example, expecting champagne and caviar for dinner, or finding a MacDonald’s for lunch, just because we pray the Lord’s Prayer fervently, every day. For those who may not know, there are no MacDonald's on the island of Cuba.)
Technology Status and it's history
Translated from the original S.I.N.G. Project, The GENNISys (Stands for: Generical Name-Numerical Identification System), a Standard Database Model for advanced data classification, settlement, relationship and sharing, was created by the Pope Paul VI Research Foundation -1975/2006- (*). The Foundation’s original research strategy for The SING Project was pretty wise: Carefully refraining from going into software options, tech-details or any other subject which is continually changing and developing and which varies so much according to time, place and budget, proved to save the whole Project, throughout the years. The System, therefore, sets out basic principles and general guidelines but includes the basic global data-management software application -modules- as a practical lab and training tool, now undergoing a major conversion challenge, from Lotus Notes/IBM-DB2. to Microsoft .NET Technology. It constitutes a full “ordenational”, organizational and informational System that improves the internal order, the relationships and communication channels between organizational functions, so information and services can be obtained and transmitted more efficiently to the appropriate target.
The Model really allows long-term data-entry capitalization, since there is virtually no data redundancy. The Gross Classification process uses a natural method to record information. The model has the amazing power to cover 99% of all “entities” present at common organizations with a few macro logic-categories. The modularity and flexibility are remarkable and focuses on the user’s natural ability for “recurrence”. For example, as soon as one learns how to use the EVENT logic category for major or external Events, like seminars, social meetings, etc., he can also record internal occurrences like communication records, income faxes, outgoing letters etc., under the same EVENT category changing only the EVENT type. Obviously that high-volume specific types of records become part of a dedicated SQL mission-critical data table, only logically incorporated by the same DB Master. Per inverse analogy, as the alphabet -the DB Model- has the power to be combined to represent human knowledge (the organization recordable entities), the GENNISys classification Model has the natural reverse and tremendous power present in the alphabet -if you know it-, to receive in synthesis, all the organization entities -knowledge- back inside itself (the DB Model, if you know it). As a symphony piece could be reduced back to the basic music notes, if manipulated by a musician, every organization entity can be classified into basic groups and fit exclusively in one specific recipient-category, if manipulated by a end-user empowered with the minimum theory skill.
Totally open and transparent, the Model allows access to data in pure state, crucial for several export and import needs, especially direct external real-time/online connections. It is a basic platform for knowledge management. It also assists the flow and connection between processes especially the decision-making process, which is a necessary link in order to meet the organization’s goals and objectives.
The System also implements an advanced Management and Quality Plan, similar to ISO 9000 standards. The ISO 9000 family of standards represents an international consensus on good management practice. Its primary aim is to give organizations guidelines on what constitutes an effective quality management system, which in turn can serve as a framework for continuous improvement.
For example, the standard ISO 9004-1 (and the other parts of ISO 9004) gives guidelines on the elements of quality management and a quality system implemented by Paul VI Foundation Model and Software. Let’s look at the two very short requirements that constitute the resource management area of the standard, according to ISO-9000 experts:
"In Section 6.3.1 it says that you must define and maintain the information necessary to support your quality management system. It also requires a procedure to maintain critical information to ensure integrity and availability. Section 6.3.2 says that you need to provide the infrastructure to achieve the planned conformity of your products and services. That’s it. Three sentences out of two sections. It seems like no big deal until you look into ISO 9004:2000 and see over a page and a half dedicated to how you conform to those elements.
In other words, ISO 9004:2000 says that information is critical to your quality mission. Information on the following should be identified, acquired, used, stored, retrieved, and eventually disposed of for: n contracting n design work n process control n verification n testing n measurement n regulatory activities n intellectual property n human resources n customer requirements n supplier requirements. You have to build a knowledge base within your organization for both internal and external data (extranet, VPN and specially the Internet). This includes all forms of information, including visual, electronic, paper, and even the spoken word. In short, you record and document everything... (then have a powerful system in place to track, control, and disseminate the information.)"
The implications here are pretty strong, but how could it be implemented in a quality & fast term without a deep and permanent logical, linguistic and cybernetic synthesis Model at DB Gross-Classification level? Being able to cover at least 90% of all entities needed to be recorded or managed? Overwhelmingly difficult! After that -and only after- the next question should be: how strong is your current information system? Do you have an information procedure? Does the Internet play a part in your information system?
Again, in Section 6.3.2 we run into the question of the infrastructure. The equipment, plant, workspace, tools, hardware, software, services, transportation methods, storage facilities, and the like, that go into supporting your production processes. These have to be planned, designed, and set-up according to the need for economy, safety, security, space, time constraints, and the objectives of your Organization and that is very difficult and even more time consuming without an Advanced DB logical Model. No wonder the least expensive ISO 9000 implementation costs a couple of million dollars.
Finally, the GENNISys management system helps the continuous infrastructure review to make sure it still meets requirements, configuration, and maintenance goals. In short, we have a tremendous tool to help keep the entire structure of this organization in well-oiled condition for a long time, with the grace of God.
The Origins
(*) The Pope Paul VI Foundation was created because of the inspiration that came from a specific homily addressed by Pope Paul VI at a solemn Mass offered for the Focolari Family in 1975 at Saint Peter Basilica. The Foundation’s mission-statement is: “The ambition of doing good for others should have no limits.” And the inspiration to start a Management Standard Research Division came from two persons who are precious to us: Bishop Giuseppe Marello and Chiara Lubich. DomMarello always taught that “The Work of the Holy Spirit is, essentially, a Simplification Work”. Chiara insists that “Nothing is more organized than what Loveorganizes” . Bishop Marello, also, is the founder of the Oblates of Saint Joseph -"Josefinos" Fathers of Asti, Italy- and Saint Joseph is the Patron Saint of the Pope Paul VI Foundation. One of his Provinces has helped The Paul VI Foundation from its very beginnings, especially in its critical moments, having his Provincial Father in Brazil been the first spiritual director, officially part of the first Statute. The "Josefinos of Asti" gladly granted The Pope Paul VI Foundation authorization to use their own heraldic coat of arms, after proper adaptation, since day one. Here is how it was adapted, starting with "M" for Mary, in the Star of Evangelization; Joseph as secure anchor...; central banner in Latin, with Pope Paul's name, and finally, the Jesus Testament as button slogan: "That all may be one" (Mt.18-20).
If you want to read a personal message about the Social Bank & Trust Ministry Project from the founder of the Pope Paul VI Foundation, just click here.