“Solidarity...is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.” St. John Paul II

Understanding Solidarity

The tradition of Catholic social justice teaches that the goods of the Earth are God’s common provision for all. As one human family, we are meant to share equitably in these gifts. But healthcare realities today are marked by immense disparities. Worldwide, five billion people lack access to safe, affordable surgical care, and each year, 81 million people face catastrophic debt seeking these services. Solidarity Bridge began as a concrete expression of Gospel love in the midst of this reality—prioritizing the needs of vulnerable patients and families. The principle of solidarity calls us to a deeper awareness that we are all interrelated and profoundly connected.

Born out of this awareness, Solidarity Bridge started as a mission serving individual patients on short-term trips to Bolivia. But, as theologian Elizabeth Johnson suggests, when we forge deep connections with others, their sufferings and joys become part of our own personal concern and spur us to transformative action in the world. We were drawn into deeper solidarity through our encounters with both patients and doctors—those who suffer and those who dedicate themselves to respond to that suffering. As we forged those connections, our emphasis on direct care for patients grew into a focus on long-term capacity building in partnership with the medical communities in Bolivia and Paraguay.

Today, there is more work to be done, on both sides of our bridge, to build communities of solidarity and mutuality, prioritize the health needs of the most vulnerable, and ensure a just distribution of medical training and equipment.

Responding in Solidarity

Dr. Paul Farmer says that, “The idea that some lives matter less than others is the root of all that is wrong in the world.” He examines what he calls socialization for scarcity and our socially constructed ideas on illness, well-being, sickness, death, suffering, and pain. Solidarity Bridge envisions a world that is ordered differently—where the health needs of those who are most vulnerable are prioritized, and the goods of the earth are equitably distributed. Where, as Pope Francis says, the value of the “life of all, over the appropriation of goods by the few” is realized. This is the vision we share with our partners in Bolivia and Paraguay. This is the world we are striving to build.

For Further Reading

What Is Catholic Social Teaching by by Fred Kammer, S.J. (Jesuit Social Research Institute)

Solidarity Bridge: Living Up To Our Name by Sarah Hinojosa