Message from the Chaplain and President of TECHO , Benjamín Donoso, SJ
We at TECHO would like to express our deep gratitude for the life and legacy of Pope Francis. His passing moves us deeply and invites us to reflect calmly, filled with the hope that he himself knew how to cultivate in so many hearts.
Francis dedicated his life—first in his native Buenos Aires, then at the head of the universal Church—to placing the least among us at the center. To walk alongside the people. To speak out for the dignity of the marginalized, of those living on the fringes, of those mired in poverty. His message was clear and courageous: “No family without a home, no farmer without land, no worker without rights.”
In that message, we find a deep resonance with the mission that guides our daily work: to build a just society free from poverty, where no one lives on a dirt floor. Throughout our more than twenty-year history, at TECHO witnessed the transformative power of mobilized youth, creating unlikely encounters that embody that “culture of encounter” that the Holy Father so strongly promoted. That youthful energy, combined with the tireless drive of the residents who lead their communities, is the seed of a process that is renewed every time a family builds a home with us.
The encyclicals *Laudato Si’* and *Fratelli Tutti* inspire and challenge us: to forge bonds of concrete fraternity, to care for our common home, and to commit ourselves to those who suffer the most. Pope Francis has clearly shed light on the challenges of our time, and he has always encouraged us to face them with active hope and solidarity.