Pope on Lebanon bombing: unjust protection is immoral

Janis Evertovskis – Vatican

In response to the question of Michael Merten, the journalist of the newspaper “Luxemburger Wort” (Word of Luxembourg) about the views of the visit, the Pope described the society of Luxembourg as a fair society with fair laws and a high culture . Luxembourg surprised him with balance, hospitality. “I think that this may be the message that Luxembourg can bring to Europe,” said the Bishop of Rome.

Valérie Dipon, journalist for RTBF, the Belgian state television channel, which broadcasts in French, asked if the beatification process of King Baudouin is related to his positions and how the right to to reconcile life and the protection of life with the right to life. a woman to live without suffering.

Francis replied that they are all life. “The king was a brave man,” he said, “because when he was against the law of death, he did not sign it and resigned. It takes courage, doesn’t it? To do this, a politician (…) needs courage. This is a special situation and he left a message with it…and he also did it because he was holy.” The Pope confirmed again that this man is a saint and the beatification process will continue.

Speaking about women, the Holy Father reminded them that they have the right to life: to their lives, to the lives of their children. “Let us not forget to say: abortion is murder,” said the Pope. “It kills a person. And doctors who do this – let me say – are killers. They are murderers. It cannot be disputed. Women have a right to life. Let’s not mix it up but about abortion. And that’s not debatable. Sorry, but it’s true!”

Flemish TV journalist Andrea Vrede said that victims of sexual crimes made several requests to him during the meeting with the Pope. “How do you plan to deal with these requests?” – asked the journalist.

Francis first explained that the Vatican has a special group that deals with cases of abuse. There is a commission and it was established by Cardinal O’Malley. It works! All cases are received and discussed in the Vatican, and the Pope himself meets with victims of sexual abuse. Second, he has heard the abuse himself. “I consider it a duty,” continued the Pope. “Some say: statistics show that 40-42-46% of those who have been abused are in the family and nearby, only 3% – in the Church. I don’t care, I take those in the Church! It is our duty to help and care for those who are abused. Some need psychological treatment, we need to help them in this regard. There is even talk about compensation, because it is in civil law. (…) We have to pay attention to the people who are abused and punish those who are abused, punish them because abuse is not a sin of today maybe not be there tomorrow… It’s a movement, it’s a mental illness and that’s why we have to put them in treatment and control them like that. You cannot leave such an abuser free in a normal life, with responsibilities in churches and schools. (…) I told the Belgian bishops not to be afraid and to go on, on. It is a shame to hide, to cover: that, yes, is a shame.”

American journalist Courtney Walsh focused on Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Gaza. She asked how, in the opinion of the Pope, this conflict could be resolved. Do these people have anything to say?

The Holy Father confirmed that he calls the congregation in Gaza every day, where there are more than 600 people. They talk about what is happening there, including the cruelty. “The defense must always match the attack,” Francis said. “If something is out of proportion, it shows a dominant tendency that exceeds the bounds of morality. A country that to do this by force – I’m talking about any country – that does these things in such a “reckless” way. Even in war there is morality immoral, but the rules of war reveal a certain morality.”

The last question was asked by Annakjara Valle, a journalist from the publication “Famiglia Cristiana” (Christian Family). First, she noted that after the pope’s speech, the Catholic University of Louvain issued a statement that said “The university regrets the conservative position expressed by Pope Francis regarding the place of women in society.” They say that it is a little limited to talk about women only in terms of motherhood, fertility, care (…).

In response to what the journalist said, Pope Francis said:
“First: this communication was made while I was speaking. It was preconceived and not morally correct. About the woman: I always talked about the dignity of women, and I said there what I cannot say about men: the Church is a woman, she is the bride of Jesus. The masculinizing of the church, a man is not a woman, he is not a Christian. Feminism has its own power. Indeed, a woman – I always say this – is more important than a man, because the Church is a woman, the Church is the bride of Jesus. If these women think that’s conservative, I’m Carlo Gardel (the famous Argentine tango singer, ed.). I can see that there is a stubborn mind that does not want to hear about it. A woman is equal to a man, she is equal, moreover, in the life of the Church, a woman is better, because the Church is a woman”.

The Pope recalled that the great theologian Hans Urs von Balthazar even studied this topic and asked: “Which is greater – the ministry of Peter or the ministry of Mary?” “Mary’s ministry is more important,” explained Francis, “because it is the ministry of unity that brings in, and the second is the ministry of leadership. The motherhood of the Church is the motherhood of women.”

At the end of the press conference, the Pope was reminded of the accident that happened at sea near the Canary Islands, where fifty people died. “I am in pain (…)”, he said. “Today, many, many migrants seeking freedom disappear at or near the sea. (…) Let’s think about it. This is something to cry about. Thank you.”