Francis stresses the power of family unity in Ecuador

QUITO, Ecuador – As hundreds of thousands battled the heat and crowds to hear Pope Francis’ first sermon on Spanish-speaking soil Monday, the 78-year-old pontiff used the occasion to defend family unity and promise the faithful that better times were ahead.

“In the heart of the family, no one is rejected,” he said in the port city of Guayaquil. “Everyone is worth the same.”

If Monday’s scene was one of apostolic harmony, today may give the pope a taste for some of the divisions running through the Ecuadorean family, as he holds a meeting with several hundred members of civil society groups.

While the list of attendees hasn’t been made public, those who claim they are going say they hope to present their reality to the pope.

Jorge Herrera, the president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, said he planned to tell Francis about what he called the administration’s environmental hypocrisy, which he said had trampled indigenous rights in the name of petroleum and mining concessions.

“We’re hoping that the pope can give (President Rafael) Correa a message that will make him change his ways,” Herrera said. “If that doesn’t work then the change will come through our collective demonstrations.”

Correa has faced weeks of protests that were sparked by his proposal to increase taxes (which have been temporarily pulled), but have evolved to include numerous concerns. Francis’ arrival Sunday has produced something of a truce.

During his sermon Monday, the pontiff seemed to call for unity as he used the story of Jesus turning water into wine during a wedding at Cana in Galilee to talk about the importance of family.

“The family is the nearest hospital, the first school for the young, the best home for the elderly,” he said. “The family constitutes the best social capital. It cannot be replaced by other institutions. It needs to be helped and strengthened lest we lose our proper sense of services, which society as a whole provides.”

Francis will be offering Mass in Quito today before leaving for Bolivia and Paraguay on Wednesday.

This is the first time in three decades that a pope has visited Ecuador, but Francis hinted he may be back.

“May God bless you, and I will pray for each of your families and I ask you to do the same, just as Mary did,” he said at the closing of Monday’s ceremony. “See you next time.”