Relatives of murder victims make a good case for a side meeting with Pope Francis when he visits a Philadelphia prison.
The demands on Pope Francis' time in the 48 hours or so he'll be in Philadelphia this month are enormous. Aside from the public Mass he'll celebrate on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the pontiff's schedule has been filled quickly with meetings of the more private variety.
Which visits to make and which requests to skip are the choice of the
Wilfredo 'Wil' Rojas, second from right, stands in downtown Philadelphia with family members of murder victims on May 8, 2015. The group is asking Pope Francis meet with them during his visit to the city in September as part of the World Meeting of Families 2015. (Photo provided)Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the World Meeting of Families organizers and the pope's "advance men" - if that's the correct term for Vatican aides who set up his travel. But a Gloucester County activist has raised an interesting thought about one scheduled activity: If the pope can talk to prison inmates at Philadelphia's Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, maybe he's got some time to comfort the families of murder victims, too.
The idea for a papal sit-down with these families comes from Wilfredo "Wil" Rojas of East Greenwich Township. Rojas' 34-year-old son, Alejando "Alex" Rojas-Garcia, was murdered in Philadelphia in January. Rojas, however, should not be dismissed as a family member who is bitter because Pope Francis seems to have more time during his visit for prisoners than those who suffer from violent crimes.
In a touch of irony, Rojas worked before his retirement as a Philadelphia prison system employee - and before his son was gunned down - with inmates of the Northeast Philadelphia site that the pope will visit. He and other victims' families began lobbying for a meeting with the pope in May, well before the Curran-Fromhold stop was confirmed. At a Philadelphia rally this spring, Rojas was joined by an impressive coalition including Cease Fire, Operation Save Our City, and the Gloucester County Branch NAACP - a group with which he now works.
Rojas now suggests that a meeting between the pope and the victims' families at the prison would be fitting. "It occured to us, as we were praying together, that meeting His Holiness at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility would be perfect for families of murder and near-violent-death experiences," Rojas said this week. He added that topics could include the effects of incarceration on both inmates and survivors, high homicide rates among minorities, and the religious traditions of mercy and forgiveness.
Credit Rojas just for raising the issue, but we hope that he and his coalition hear some positive feedback soon from the pope's representatives. It doesn't have to be an especially formal meeting, or a long one. It would be an impressive way for Pope Francis to acknowledge that having compassion for those who are in jail goes together with having compassion for those dealing with the violent loss of a loved one.
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