Vatican City, 19 February 2016 (VIS) –
As is customary in his apostolic trips, the Pope answered questions
posed by journalists during the return flight to Rome, on his visit
to Mexico and his encounter in Havana, Cuba with the Patriarch
Kirill. The Holy Father addressed a series of themes that ranged from
his Mexican experience to the problem of paedophilia, immigration to
the European situation, as well as the repercussions of the document
signed with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the law on civil
unions and the various problems linked to the family. He also
expressed his hope to meet with Imam of the Mosque of Al-Azhar and
revealed that he would like to visit China.
The following is a summary of the
questions asked by journalists and the replies given by the Pope:
Question: "Holy Father, thousands
of people are missing in Mexico, but the case of the Ayotzinapa 43 is
emblematic. I would like to ask you why you did not meet with their
families and also if you could offer a message to the families of the
thousands of missing persons".
Pope Francis: "My messages make
continual reference to assassinations, deaths, and lives taken by all
these bands of drug traffickers, and by traffickers of human beings.
I spoke about these problems as one of the wounds from which Mexico
suffers. There have been some attempts to receive people, and there
were many groups, even opposed to each other, with internal battles.
Therefore I preferred to say that at the Mass I would have seen
everyone, in the Mass at Juarez if they preferred, or at another, but
I was open to this eventuality. It was practically impossible to
receive all the groups who, on the other hand, were opposed to each
other. It is a difficult situation to understand clearly, for me, as
a foreigner. But I believe that Mexican society is a victim of this:
of crimes, of this tendency to make people disappear, to discard
them. I spoke about this in my discourses where I could. It is a
great source of pain that I bear, as this people does not deserve to
experience a tragedy like this".
Question: "The theme of
paedophilia, as you know, has very dangerous and painful roots in
Mexico. The case of Fr. Maciel has left important scars, especially
for the victims. The victims continue to feel that they are not
protected by the Church. ...What do you think about this idea that
when priests are discovered in a case of this nature, they are to be
moved to another parish, and nothing else. How do you regard this
matter?".
Pope Francis: "A bishop who moves
a priest to a different parish if he detects a case of paedophilia is
without conscience and the best thing for him to do would be to
resign. Secondly, I would like to return to the Maciel case. Here I
would like to render homage to a man who battled in a moment in which
he did not have the strength to impose himself, to the point of being
able to do so: Cardinal Ratzinger, a man who had all the
documentation. When he was prefect of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith he had all the documentation in his hands, he
carried out investigations … but was not able continue up to the
end. But if you remember, ten days before St. John Paul II died, that
Good Friday Via Crucis, he said to all the Church that it was
necessary to clean up all the 'filth' in the Church. In the Mass Pro
Eligendo Pontifice – he was no fool, he knew he was a candidate –
he did not try to conceal his position, he said exactly the same
thing. That is, he was the courageous man who helped greatly to open
this door. Thirdly, we are working hard. With the Cardinal Secretary
of State, in discussion, and also with the group of nine cardinal
counsellors, I decided to appoint a third secretariat adjunct to the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is occupied
exclusively with these cases, because the Congregation is unable to
manage them with all it has to do, and therefore this secretariat
knows how to manage this. Further more, the Court of Appeal was
constituted, presided over by Msgr. Scicluna, which is dealing with
the cases of second instance, on appeal. … Another thing that is
working very well is the Commission for the Protection of Minors. …
With regard to Maciel, returning to the Congregation, action has been
taken and now the Congregation, the governance of the Congregation is
semi-commissioned, or rather the superior general is elected by the
Council, by the General Chapter, but the Vicar is chosen by the Pope.
Two general counsellors are elected by the General Chapter and the
other two are chosen by the Pope, so that we are able to help them to
review old accounts".
Question: "You spoke very
eloquently about the problems of immigrants. On the other side of the
border, however, there is a rather tough electoral campaign in
progress. One of the candidates to the White House, the Republican
Donald Trump, recently said in an interview that His Holiness is a
man of politics or indeed even a pawn in the hands of the Mexican
government to favour a policy of immigration. He has declared that,
if elected, he intends to construct a 2,500 kilometre wall along the
border between Mexico and the United States, and to deport eleven
million illegal immigrants, thus separating families, and so on. I
would like to ask, first of all, what you think of these accusations
and whether an American Catholic can vote for such a person".
Pope Francis: "I thank God that he
has said I am a politician, as Aristotle defined the human being as
an 'animal politicus': at least I am a human being! And that I am a
pawn … perhaps, I do not know. I will leave that to your judgement,
to the people. A person who thinks only of building walls, wherever
that may be, and not bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the
Gospel. With regard to what I would advise, to vote or not to vote: I
would not like to become involved. I would say only that this man is
not Christian. It is necessary to see if he has said these things,
and for this reason I would give the benefit of the doubt".
Question: "The encounter with the
Russian patriarch Kirill and the signing of the Joint Declaration was
acclaimed throughout the world as an historic step. But now, already,
in Ukraine the Greek Catholics feel betrayed and speak about a
'political document', supporting Russian policy. On the ground, the
war of words has broken out again".
Pope Francis: "It is as document
that is open to discussion. I would also add that Ukraine is a
country that is going through a time of war, of suffering, with many
interpretations. I have mentioned the Ukrainian people asking many
times for prayers and closeness to them, both in the Angelus and in
the Wednesday general audiences. But the historical fact of a war –
everyone has their own idea: what is this war? Who started it? What
must be done? What must not be done? It is clear that this is an
historic problem, but also an existential problem for the country,
and it speaks of suffering. And it is in this context that I insert
this paragraph, and what the faithful say can be understood. [In an
interview] the Ukrainian Catholic archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said
that many faithful had called or written to him saying they felt
profoundly disappointed or betrayed by Rome. It is understandable
that a people in that situation feels this way. The document is
debatable on this question of Ukraine, but there it is said that the
war is to stop and the conflict is to be managed through agreements.
I too have personally expressed my hope that the Minsk Accords go
ahead, and that what is written with the hand is not cancelled out
with the elbow. The Church of Rome and the Pope have always said,
'seek peace'".
Question: "The Italian parliament
is discussing the law on civil unions, an issue that is giving rise
not only to major political conflicts, but also to fierce debate in
society and among Catholics".
Pope Francis: "Firstly I do not
know how things are in the Italian parliament. The Pope does not get
involved in Italian politics. At the first meeting I had with the
Italian bishops in May 2013, one of the three things I said was: with
the Italian government you are on your own. The Pope is for everybody
and he cannot get involved in the specific internal politics of a
country. This is not the role of the Pope. What I think is what the
Church thinks and has so often said – because this is not the first
country to have this experience, there are so many – I think what
the Church has always said about this".
Question: "For several weeks there
has been great concern in many Latin American countries, and also in
Europe, regarding the Zika virus. The greatest risk would be for
pregnant women. Some authorities have proposed abortion, or avoiding
pregnancy. With regard to avoiding pregnancy, on this issue, can the
Church take into consideration the concept of 'the lesser of two
evils?'"
Pope Francis: "Abortion is not the
lesser of two evils. It is a crime, an absolute evil. On the ‘lesser
evil,’ avoiding pregnancy, we speak in terms of a conflict between
the fifth and sixth commandments. Paul VI, a great man, in a
difficult situation in Africa, permitted nuns to use contraceptives
in cases of rape. Do not confuse the evil of avoiding pregnancy by
itself, with abortion. … On the other hand, avoiding pregnancy is
not an absolute evil. In certain cases, as in this one, or in the one
I mentioned of Blessed Paul VI, it was clear. I also urge doctors to
do their utmost to find vaccines against … this disease. Work needs
to be done on this".
Question: "You will soon receive
the Charlemagne Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the
European Community. … Do you have a word for us in this situation
of crisis in Europe?"
Pope Francis: "First, about the
Charlemagne Prize. I had the habit of not accepting prizes or
honours, not out of humility, but because I do not like these things.
… But in this case, I would not say I was 'forced', but convinced
by the holy and theological stubbornness of Cardinal Kasper. … I
accepted and said 'yes, but in the Vatican'. And I offer it to
Europe, as a co-decoration for Europe, a prize so that Europe may do
as I said at Strasbourg; that it may no longer be 'grandmother
Europe' but 'mother Europe'. Secondly, reading the news the other day
about this crisis and so on … there was one word that I liked …
the 're-foundation' of the European Union. I thought of the great
fathers, but today where is there a Schuman, an Adenauer, the great
statesmen who after the war founded the European Union. I like this
idea of the re-foundation of the European Union, maybe it can be
done, because Europe – I do not say is unique, but it has a
strength, a culture, a history that cannot be lost, and we must do
everything so that the European Union has the strength and also the
inspiration to go forward".
Question: "Holy Father, you have
spoken much about families and the Year of Mercy in this trip. Some
wonder how a Church that claims to be merciful can forgive a murderer
more easily than someone who has divorced and remarried?"
Pope Francis: "On the family, two
synods have spoken. The Pope has spoken on this all year in the
Wednesday Catechisms. The question is true, you posed it very well.
The post-Synod document … reviews everything the Synod has said on
conflicts, wounded families and the pastoral (care) of wounded
families. It is one of our concerns. Another is the preparation for
marriage. … Preparation for marriage is very important. ... I
believe it is something that in the Church, in common pastoral
ministry, at least in my country, in South America, the Church has
not valued much. For example, it does not happen so much now, but
some years ago in my homeland there was a habit, something called
‘casamiento de apuro', a marriage in haste because of an unplanned
pregnancy, to protect the honour of the family. There, the spouses
were not free and often this type of marriage is null. As a bishop I
forbade my priests to celebrate this type of marriage. … I would
say, let the baby come, let them continue as fiancées, and when they
feel like they can continue for the rest of their lives, then they
could go ahead. … Another very interesting chapter is the education
of children: the victims of family problems are the children. …
Another interesting thing from the meeting with families in Tuxtla –
there was a couple, married again in second union, and 'integrated'
in the pastoral ministry of the Church. The key phrase used by the
synod, which I’ll take up again, is to ‘integrate’ wounded
families, remarried couples and so on in the life of the Church. But
the children who in the middle must not be forgotten. They are the
primary victims, both of these wounds, and of conditions of poverty,
work, and so on".
Question: "Does that mean they can
receive Communion?"
Pope Francis: "This is the last
thing. Integrating in the Church does not mean receiving communion. …
It is a path towards integration, all doors are open, but we cannot
say, ‘from here on they can have communion.’ This would be an
injury also to marriage, to the couple, because it would not allow
them to proceed on this path of integration. And the couple in Tuxtla
were happy. They used a very beautiful expression: we do not receive
Eucharistic communion, but we receive communion when we visit
hospitals, in this service, and so forth. Their integration has
remained there. If there is something more, the Lord will tell them,
but it is a path, a road".
Question: "The media have referred
to the intense correspondence John Paul II and the American
philosopher, Ana Teresa Tymieniecka. … According to His Holiness,
can a Pope have such an intimate relationship with a woman?"
Pope Francis: "I would say that a
man who does not know how to have a relationship of friendship with a
woman … well, he is a man who is missing something. … A
friendship with a woman is not a sin. It is a friendship. … But the
Pope is a man. The Pope needs the input of women, too. And the Pope,
too, has a heart that can have a healthy, holy friendship with a
woman. There are saint-friends – Francis and Clare, Teresa and John
of the Cross. ... But women are still not well considered; we have
not understood the good a woman can do for the life of a priest and
of the church in the sense of counsel, help and healthy friendship".
Question: "On the topic of the law
that is being considered in the Italian parliament: it is a law that
in some ways is about other countries, because other countries have
laws about unions among people of the same sex. There is a document
from the Congregation for the Doctrine for the Faith from 2003 that
dedicates … a chapter to the position of Catholic parliamentarians
in relation this question. It says expressly that Catholic
parliamentarians must not vote for these laws. I wanted to ask, first
of all, is this document of 2003 still in effect? What is the
position a Catholic parliamentarian must take? Also, after Moscow,
Cairo: is there another 'thawing' on the horizon? I refer to the
audience His Holiness hopes for with the 'Pope of the Sunnis', if we
may call him thus: the Imam of Al Azhar".
Pope Francis: "On this second
issue, Msgr. Ayuso, secretary of the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue presided by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, went
to meet the deputy to the Imam, and to greet the Imam. … I want to
meet him. I know that he would like it. We are looking for a way,
always through Cardinal Tauran because that is the way. But we we
achieve this. Regarding the first theme: I do not remember that 2003
document from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, but
every Catholic parliamentarian must vote according their well-formed
conscience. I would say only this. I think it is sufficient. … With
regard to persons of the same sex, I repeat what I said on the trip
to Rio di Janeiro. It is in the Catechism of the Catholic Church".
Question: "Thank you for this trip
to Mexico. … And we are already thinking about future trips. When
are you going to go to Argentina, where they have been waiting for
you for a long time? When will you return to Latin America, or will
you go to China?"
Pope Francis: "I would love to go
to China! ... I would like to say something just about the Mexican
people. It is a population that has a great wealth … a culture that
goes back millennia. … It is a people of great faith. They have
also suffered religious persecution. There are martyrs, and I will
now canonize two of them. It is a people that you cannot easily
explain, because the word ‘people’ is not a logical category,
it’s a mythical category. The Mexican people cannot be explained:
you cannot explain this wealth, this history, this joy, the capacity
to celebrate amid tragedy. … A nation that nevertheless still has
this vitality can be explained only by Guadalupe. And I invite you to
seriously study the facts of Guadalupe. The Madonna is there. I
cannot find another explanation. … There are good books that
explain it, that also explain the painting and its meaning. In this
way you can understand better this great and beautiful people".
