Holiness, I want to ask you
why you ask so insistently that we pray for you? It’s not normal, usual, to
hear a Pope ask so much to pray for him.
Pope
Francis:
I’ve
always asked for this. When I was a priest I asked for it, but not so
frequently. I began to ask for it with a certain frequency in my work as
Bishop, because I feel that if the Lord doesn’t help in this work of helping
the People of God to go forward, one can’t … I truly feel I have so many
limitations, so many problems, also being a sinner – you know it! – and I must
ask for this. But it comes from within! I also ask Our Lady to pray for me to
the Lord. It’s a habit, but it’s a habit that comes from the heart and also
from the need I have for my work. I feel I must ask … I don’t know, it’s like
this …
Andrea Tornielli:
Holy
Father, I have a question that is, perhaps, somewhat indiscreet: the photograph
has gone around the world of you, when we left, going up the steps of the plane
carrying a black bag, and there were articles throughout the world that
commented on this novelty: yes, of the Pope going up ... it never happened, we
said, that the Pope went up with his baggage in hand. So, there were even
theories about what the black bag contained. Now, my questions are: one, why
did you carry the black bag and why was it not carried by a collaborator, and
two, can you tell us what was inside? Thank you.
Pope
Francis:
It
didn’t have the key of the atomic bomb! Alas! I carried it because I’ve always
done so: when I travel, I carry it. What is inside? There is my razor, there is
the Breviary, there is the agenda, there is a book to read – I took one on
Saint Teresina to whom I am devoted. I have always carried the bag when I
travel: it’s normal. But we must be normal … I don’t know .. what you are
saying is a bit strange to me, that that photo has gone around the world. But
we must get used to being normal, the normality of life. I don’t know, Andrea, if
I’ve answered you
Pope Francis:
Good
evening and thank you so much. I am happy. It has been a good trip; it has done
me good spiritually. I’m quite tired, but with a joyful heart, and I am well,
well: it did me good spiritually. It does one good to meet people, because the
Lord works in each one of us; He works in the heart, and the richness of the
Lord is such that we can always receive many good things from others. And this
does me good. This, as a first evaluation. Then I would say that the kindness,
the heart of the Brazilian people is great, is true: its great. They are such
kind people, a people that loves celebration, that even in suffering always
finds a way to seek the good anywhere. And this is good: they are a happy
people, a people who have suffered so much! The joy of Brazilians is
contagious, it’s contagious! And these people have a great heart. Then I would
say of the organizers, from our part as well as that of the Brazilians – but I
felt I was in front of a computer, an incarnated computer … But truly,
everything was absolutely punctual, no? But good. Then we had problems with
security theories: security here and there; there wasn’t an incident in the
whole of Rio de Janeiro in these days, and everything was spontaneous. With
less security, I was able to be with the people, to embrace and greet them,
without armored cars. It’s the security of trusting people. It’s true that
there is always the danger that there is a madman … alas, yes, that there is a
madman who does something; but there is also the Lord! But, to make an armored
space between the Bishop and the people is madness, and I prefer this madness:
[to be] outside and run the risk of the other madness. I prefer this madness:
outside. Closeness does good to all.
Then,
the organization of the Day, not something specific, but everything: the
artistic part, the religious part, the catechetical part, the liturgical part …
it was very beautiful! They have a capacity to express themselves in art.
Yesterday, for instance, they did very beautiful things, very beautiful! Then,
Aparecida. For me Aparecida is an intense religious experience. I recall the
Fifth Conference. I was there to pray. I wanted to go alone, somewhat hidden,
but there was an impressive crowd! It wasn’t possible [to be hidden], I knew
that before arriving. And we prayed, we did. I don’t know … one thing … but
also from your part. Your work was, I’m told – I didn’t read the newspapers
during these days, I didn’t have the time, I did not watch the TV, nothing --,
but I’m told that it was good, good, good work! Thank you, thank you for the
collaboration, and thank you for having done this. Then the number, the number
of young people. Today – I can’t believe it – but today the Governor spoke of
three million. I can’t believe it. But from the altar -- that’s true! – I
don’t know if you, some of you were at the altar: from the altar, at the end,
the whole beach was full, up to the curve, more than four kilometers. But so
many young people. And they say, Monsignor Tempesta told me, that they were
from 178 countries: 178! The Vice-President also gave me this number: that’s
certain. It’s important! Intense!
Father
Lombardi:
Thank
you. Now we give the floor first to Juan de Lara, who is from Efe, a Spaniard,
and it’s the last trip he makes with us; so, we are happy to give him this
possibility.
Juan
de Lara:
Good
evening, Holiness. On behalf of all our companions we want to thank you for
these days you have given us in Rio de Janeiro, the work you have done, and the
effort it implies and also in the name of all Spanish journalists, we want to
thank you for the prayers and the praying for the victims of the train accident
of Santiago de Compostela. Thank you very much. And the first question, -- it
doesn’t have much to do with the trip, but we take advantage of the occasion that
gives us this possibility and I wanted to ask you: Holiness, in these four
months of pontificate, we see that you have created several commissions to
reform the Vatican Curia. I would like to ask you: What type of reform do you
have in mind? Do you contemplate the possibility of doing away with the IOR,
the so-called Vatican Bank? Thank you.
[Repeated
in Italian]
Pope
Francis:
The
steps I have taken in these four and a half months, come from two sources: the
content of what had to be done, it all comes from the source of the General
Congregations that we Cardinals had. They were things that we Cardinals asked
for to the one who’d be the new Pope. I remember that I asked for many things,
thinking of someone else. That is, we asked, this has to be done … for
instance, the Commission of eight Cardinals, we know that it’s important to
have an outside consultation, not the consultations that take place, but from
the outside. And this is in line – here I make a sort of abstraction, thinking,
however, to explain it – in the line increasingly of the maturation of the
relation between the Synodality and the Primacy. That is, these eight Cardinals
favor Synodality, they help the different episcopates of the world to express
themselves in the government itself of the Church. Many proposals were made,
which have not yet been put into practice, such as the reform of the Synod’s
Secretariat, the methodology; such as the Post-Synodal Commission which has a
permanent character of consultation; such as the Cardinals’ Consistories with
topics that aren’t so formal – such as, for instance, canonization --, but also
subjects, etc. Well, the source of the contents comes from there. The second
source is the opportunity. I’ll tell you, it wasn’t hard for me, at the end of
the first month of pontificate, to create the Commission of the eight
Cardinals, which is one thing … The financial part I thought I’d address next
year, because it’s not the most important thing to address. However, the agenda
was changed due to the circumstances that you know, which are of the public
domain; problems appeared which had to be addressed. The first, the problem of
the IOR, namely, how to direct it, how to delineate it, how to reform it, how
to heal what has to be healed, and there is the first Commission of Reference,
that’s its name. You know the , what is requested, those who
make it up, and everything. Then we had the meeting of the Commission of the
fifteen Cardinals who are concerned with the economic aspects of the Holy See.
They are from all parts of the world. And there, while preparing that meeting,
the need was seen to establish a same Reference Commission for the whole
economy of the Holy See. That is, the economic problem was addressed outside
the agenda, but these things happen when in the office of government, no? One
goes here but a goal is kicked from over there and one must intercept it, isn’t
that right? Then, life is like this and that is what is lovely about life also.
I repeat the question you asked me about the IOR, sorry, I’m speaking in
Spanish. Sorry … the answer came to me in Spanish.
[Repeated
in Italian]
With
reference to that question you asked me about the IOR, I don’t know how the IOR
will end; some say that, perhaps, it’s best if it’s a bank, others that it be
an aid fund, others say to close it. Alas! These voices are heard. I don’t
know. I trust the work of the people of the IOR, who are working on this, also
of the Commission. The President of the IOR remains, the same one who was there
before; instead the Director and the Vice-Director have resigned. But this, I
cannot tell you how this story will end, and this is good also because one
finds, one seeks; we are human, in this; we must find the best. But, this yes;
but the characteristics of the IOR – whether a bank, an aid fund, whatever it
is – must be transparent and honest. This must be so. Thank you.
Patricia Zorzan:
Speaking
on behalf of Brazilians. The society has changed, young people have changed,
and we see many young people in Brazil. You have spoken to us about abortion,
matrimony between persons of the same sex. In Brazil a law has been approved
which extends the right of abortion and has allowed matrimony between persons
of the same sex. Why didn’t you speak about this?
[Repeated
in Italian]
Pope
Francis:
The
Church has already expressed herself perfectly on this. It wasn’t necessary to
go back to this, nor did I speak about fraud or lies or other things, on which
the Church has a clear doctrine.
[Repeated
in Italian]
Patricia
Zorzan:
But
it’s an issue that interests young people …
[Repeated
in Italian]
Pope
Francis:
Yes,
but it wasn’t necessary to talk about that, but about positive things that open
the way to youngsters, isn’t that so? Moreover, young people know perfectly
well what the position of the Church is.
[Repeated
in Italian]
Patricia
Zorzan:
What
is the position of Your Holiness, can you tell us?
[Repeated
in Italian]
Pope
Francis:
That
of the Church. I’m a child of the Church.
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