He Pope Francisco He has already returned to Italy, thus concluding his 43rd international apostolic journey. At the age of 86, he traveled 7,000 kilometers to reach Mongolia, marking the first time that a Pope has visited the Asian country, which has fewer than 1,500 baptized Catholics.
It was the relaunch of the Church of the peripheries, but also a key 5-day trip in the heart of Asia, which has geopolitical implications with a view to Moscow and Beijing, since Mongolia represents the “mystique of the third neighbor” to favor dialogue of the Vatican with China and Russia in a complicated international context.
During the ten-hour flight back to Fiumicino, on the ITA Airways A330 in which the Pope traveled with his entourage, gave a press conference to the journalists who accompanied him.
There were numerous topics that Francisco touched on speaking to the press, it could be said in Creole that “he threw a lot of meat on the grill”, since among various topics he did not hide his admiration for the Chinese people and relations with Beijing in view of the next mission. of peace of the Vatican in the Asian giant. He also spoke of his fragile health that jeopardizes future trips, even joking with his successor. and he referred to the degradation of the world’s peripheries to which governments must respond with “true social justice.” He also clarified his words addressed to “Russian Catholic youth” that so irritated Ukraine in recent days.
Governments must do “social justice” in neighborhoods
The Pontiff appealed to the “social justice” when asked about the drama of two recent events of violence and gang rape of young underage girls that occurred in popular and peripheral neighborhoods of Palermo, in Sicily and in Naples that shocked Italian public opinion.
Asked what governments can do to overcome the suffering and degradation of the suburbs, Francis responded: “We have to talk to the slums and the governments must do social justice, true social justice” and he recalled the actions and what the priests do in the slums of Buenos Aires. “You have to go to the neighborhoods and work there.” “All the governments of the world must be open to this.” “The world of the suburbs is not easy”, and he added: “a philosopher once said that reality is better understood from the peripheries, that is why you have to talk with the peripheries”.
If I don’t travel, I will John XXIVY on future trips and the possibility of going to Vietnam, where Catholics want and ask for his presence, he replied joking that “a visit will surely take place because Vietnam is a land that deserves it”, and ironically replied “If I don’t go, I will go John XXIV”Already thinking of his successor. And after that statement, referring to his state of health, he added: “I tell you the truth: for me traveling now is not as easy as at the beginning because I have limitations to walk, but we’ll see.”
I have great admiration for the Chinese people
On Sunday – from Mongolia – the Pope sent a message to the Chinese people and asked Catholics to be good citizens, after the Beijing authorities did not allow bishops and faithful to go to Mongolia for the meeting presided over by the Pontiff.
Referring to the current state of relations with China, the Pope stated that “relations with China are very respectful and personally I have great admiration for the Chinese people”, adding that “the channels are very open for the appointment of bishops and there is a commission that has been working for a long time with the Chinese government and the Vatican.
Then there are some Catholic priests or intellectuals who are often invited to teach courses at Chinese universities” and he recalled the “peace mission” carried out by the Holy See” to stop the war in Ukraine where Cardinal Matteo Zuppi will soon travel to Beijing to continue on the path of dialogue, although for now it is not clear when.
“With China, I believe that we must move forward in the religious aspect, to understand each other better and so that Chinese citizens do not think that the Church does not accept their culture and values and depends on another foreign power. The commission chaired by Cardinal Parolin is doing well on this friendly path, it is doing a good job. Relations on the Chinese side are also on the way. I have great respect for the Chinese people,” Francisco emphasized.
Russian culture should not be canceled
The Pontiff spoke again about the controversy caused by his words days ago in a web meeting with young Russian Catholics who could not participate in the World Youth Day that was held in Portugal regarding their statements regarding “imperialism”. from Moscow. During the flight, he clarified that his words to young people about “Great Russia”, which so irritated the Ukrainians, did not refer to Russian imperialism, but to culture, which, on the contrary, culture is dialogue, “and the Russian culture must not be canceled because of political problems”.
Source: Ambito
