Vatican City, 26 November 2014 (VIS) –
During his return journey from Strasbourg, where he addressed both
the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, Pope Francis
answered questions posed by the journalists who accompanied him on
the flight. The questions and the Holy Father's answers are published
below.
Q: “Your Holiness addressed the
European Parliament with pastoral works that may also be regarded as
political words, and which may be linked, in my opinion, to a
social-democratic stance - for example, when you say that we must
ensure that the true expressive force of populations is not removed
by multinational powers. Could we say that you are a social-democrat
Pope?”
Pope Francis: “This would be
reductive. It makes me feel as if I am part of a collection of
insects: 'This is a social-democratic insect ...'. No, I would say
not. I don't know if I am a social-democrat Pope or not. I would not
dare to define myself as belonging to one side or another. I dare say
that this comes from the Gospel: this is the message of the Gospel,
taken up by the social doctrine of the Church. In reality, in this
and in other things – social and political – that I have said, I
have not detached myself from the social Doctrine of the Church. The
social Doctrine of the Church comes from the Gospel and from
Christian tradition. What I said – the identity of the people –
is a Gospel value, is it not? In this sense, I say it. But you have
made me laugh, thank you!”
Q: “There is almost no-one on the
streets of Strasbourg this morning. The people say they are
disappointed. Do you regret not visiting the Cathedral of Strasbourg,
that celebrates is millennium this year? And when will you make your
first trip to France, and where? Lisieux, perhaps?”
Pope Francis: “No, it is not yet
planned, but one should certainly go to Paris. Then, there is a
proposal to go to Lourdes. I have asked to visit a city where no Pope
has yet been, to greet the citizens. But the plan has not yet been
made. No, for Strasbourg, a visit to the cathedral was considered but
it would have mean already making a visit to France, and this was the
problem”.
Q: During your address to the Council
of Europe I was struck by the concept of transversality, especially
with reference to your meetings with young politicians in various
countries, and indeed you spoke of the need for a sort of pact
between generations, an intergenerational agreement at the margins of
this transversality. Also, if I may ask, is it true that you are
devoted to St. Joseph, and have a statue of him in your room?”
Pope Francis: “Yes, it is true.
Whenever I have asked something of St. Joseph, he has granted it to
me. The fact of 'transversality' is important. I have seen in
dialogue with young politicians in the Vatican, from different
parties and nations, that they speak with a differetn music, that
tends towards transversality, and this is valuable. They are not
afraid of coming out of their own territory, without denying it, but
coming out in order to engage in dialogue. They are courageous! I
believe that we must imitate this, along with intergenerational
dialogue. This tendency to come out to find people of other origins
and to engage in dialogue: Europe needs this today”.
Q: “In your second discourse, to the
Council of Europe, you spoke about the sins of the sons of the
Church. I would like to know if you have received the news on the
events in Granada [alleged sexual abuse of minors by priests in the
archdiocese, Ed.], that in a certain sense you brought to light...”
Pope Francis: “I received the news –
it was sent to me, I read it, I called the person and I said,
'Tomorrow you must go to the bishop', and I wrote to the bishop
asking him to begin work, to start the investigation and go ahead.
How did I receive the news? With great pain, with very great sadness.
But the truth is the truth, and we cannot hide it”.
Q: “In your addresses in Strasbourg,
you spoke frequently of both the threat of terrorism and the threat
of slavery: these are attitudes that are also typical of the Islamic
State, which threatens much of the Mediterranean, which threatens
Rome and also threatens you personally. Do you think it is possible
to engage in dialogue with these extremists, or do you think this is
a lost cause?”
Pope Francis: “I never give something
up as a lost cause: never. Perhaps dialogue is not possible, but
never close the door. It is difficult, one might say almost
impossible, but the door is always open. You have used the word
'threaten' twice: it is true, terrorism is a threat. … But slavery
is a real situation embedded in the today's social fabric, and has
been for some time. Slave labour, human trafficking, the trade in
children … it is a crisis! We must not close our eyes to this.
Slavery, today, is a reality, the exploitation of people … And then
there is the threat of these terrorists. But there is another threat,
and it is State terrorism. When the situation becomes critical, and
each State believes it has the right to massacre the terrorists, many
who are innocent fall prey alongside the terrorists. This is a form
of high-level anarchy that is very dangerous. It is necessary to
fight terrorism, but I repeat what I said during my previous trip:
when it is necessary to stop an unjust aggressor, it must be done
with international consensus”.
Q: “In your heart, when you travel to
Strasbourg, do you travel as Peter's Successor, as the bishop of
Rome, or as the archbishop of Buenos Aires?”
Pope Francis: “As all three, I think.
My memory is that of the archbishop of Buenos Aires, but I am no
longer in this role. Now I am the bishop of Rome and Peter's
Successor, and I think that I travel with this memory but with these
realities; I travel with all these things. Europe worries me at the
moment; it is good for me to go ahead in order to help, as the bishop
of Rome and Peter's Successor; in this respect I am Roman”.