Pope Francis accepted an exclusive interview with Swiss Italian Radio and Television. He talked about many topics, including the Pope’s own physical condition, the Pope’s pastoral ministry, the mission of the church, and the relationship between the current world situation and the previous Pope. The interview will be aired in prime time on the eve of the tenth anniversary of the Pope’s election.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis recently accepted an interview with Swiss Radio Italian (RSI) reporter Paolo Rodari at the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. He talked about many topics, including the Pope’s personal life, the Pope’s pastoral ministry Mission priorities, the Church’s acceptance of all, the Russo-Ukrainian war and other conflicts, relations with previous popes, etc. The interview will air in primetime on Sunday, March 12, the eve of the 10th anniversary of the Pope’s election.
The Pope first spoke about his physical condition: “I am old. My body’s resistance is weakening, and I have some problems with my knee, although it is improving. When I am in a wheelchair, I feel a little embarrassed.”
When talking about the issue of caring for the poorest people in the world, the Pope said: “It is true that I especially love the discarded, but this does not mean that I abandon others. The poor are loved by Jesus, but Jesus did not Drive out the rich.” So the journalist Rodari asked, “What does Jesus mean by asking anyone to be brought to His table?” The Pope replied, “It means that no one is excluded. When the invitees did not come, He said go to the crossroads and call all the people, the sick, the good and the bad, the small and the big, the rich and the poor, all. We should not forget this One point: the Church is not the home of a few, she is not selective. The holy and faithful people of God are: all.”
So why do some people feel ostracized by the church because of their life situation? The Pope explained: “Sin has always existed. It is the men and women of the Church who have put this distance. This is the hypocrisy of the world, feeling that we are more just than others, but it is not true. We are all sinners. To the truth At the moment of enlightenment, when you put your own truth on the table, you will find that you are also a sinner.”
Afterwards, the Pope talked about a topic that many people are curious about, which is why he chose to live in the Casa Santa Marta. The Pope explained: “Two days after I was elected, I went to take over the Vatican Apostolic Building. It is not very luxurious, everything is arranged properly, but it is too big. My feeling is that it is like an inverted funnel. Psychologically, I can’t stand this. By chance, I passed by the door of the room I’m living in now, and I thought: ‘I’m going to stay here.’ It’s an inn, forty People who work live here, and they come from all over the world.”
When referring to his past life and what the Pope missed, the Pope said that when he was in Argentina, he often took walks and used public transportation such as subways and buses. He was always with normal people back then.
Then, turning to Europe, the pope said: “Now there are many young politicians, heads of government or ministers. I always tell them: You have to talk to each other. The man is a leftist, you are a rightist, but you are all young.” People, talk! Now is the time for you young people to talk.”
When talking about the current Russian-Ukrainian war that attracts worldwide attention, the Pope said that in just over a hundred years, there have been three world wars: the First World War from 1914 to 1918, the First World War from 1939 to 1945 The Second World War in 2008, the Russo-Ukraine War today is a world war. From sporadic wars, no one can now say that it is not a global war. The pope pointed out: “The great powers are entangled. The battlefield is in Ukraine, where the parties are fighting. It reminds me of the arms industry. A technocrat told me: If no weapons are produced for a year, the problem of hunger in the world will be reduced.” It will be resolved. It’s a marketplace, wars are waged, old weapons are sold, new weapons are tested.”
To this end, the journalist Rhodari asked: “Before the conflict in Ukraine, you met Putin many times. If you met him today, what would you say to him?” The Pope replied: “I would speak in public Same, speak to him clearly. He is a man of culture. I went to the Russian embassy in the Holy See on the second day of the war, and expressed my willingness to leave for Moscow, as long as Putin would open me a window for negotiations. Raff Rove wrote to me to say thank you, but said that now is not the time. Putin knows that I can go anytime. But there are empire interests, not only Russian empire, but other empires. Precisely for the interests of empires, nations Relegated to second place.”
The pope also pointed to other conflicts in the world, such as those in Yemen, Syria, and the poor Rohingya in Myanmar. He said: “Wars cause disasters. There is absolutely no spirit of God in wars. I don’t believe in jihad.”
Later, the Pope and journalists mentioned his relationship with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Pope Francis said: “He was a man of God, whom I loved very much. The last time I saw him was around Christmas. At that time, he could hardly speak. He spoke in a low, low voice. , low. Needs someone to explain his words. He has a clear head. He asks questions: How is this going? How is that being handled? He is up to date on what’s going on. It’s a joy to talk to I asked for his opinion and he gave his own. His advice was always impartial, positive and wise. However, in this last meeting, it was clear that his time in this world was numbered gone.”
On the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the pope said: “For the funeral of an absent pope, the ceremonial staff ‘scratched their heads’. It is difficult to distinguish the difference. Now, I have asked for The funerals of all future popes will be studied. The liturgical personnel are studying and simplifying a little, deleting the parts that are not suitable for the ceremony.”
Benedict XVI opened the way for the Pope Emeritus, and Pope Francis has also stated that he does not rule out the possibility of retirement. The reporter therefore asked under what circumstances the Pope would consider retiring. “When you are so tired that you can’t see clearly, you don’t think clearly, you don’t know how to assess a situation, or maybe when you have a problem with your health. I always ask for advice and I listen to it,” said the Pope. .How is it going? Do you think I should…? I asked people I know, and some wise cardinals. They told me the truth: go ahead, it’s good. But, please, a word of caution. “
Finally, the reporter Rodari asked the Pope why he always invites everyone to pray for him when he greets people? The Pope replied: “I believe that everyone will pray for me. I say to non-believers: please pray for me, if you do not pray, please give me a good atmosphere. A friend who is an atheist wrote to me It reads: I send you good vibes. This is a non-Christian way of praying, but it is a kind of mutual love. Loving others is a kind of prayer.”
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