The question of Gaza and the genocide reported by many parts, even within the Church. The Christian doctrine on LGBTQ people. Relations with China. The abuses of the clergy. The migratory policy of the United States, the financial situation of the Holy See, the IA, the fake news.
There are many themes addressed by Pope Leo XVI in his first interview, which dates back to the end of July, to the journalist of crux, Elise Ann Allen, contained in the volume, in Spanish, León XIV: Ciudano del Mundo, Misionero del Siglo XXIin the bookstore from 18 September for Penguin Peru, and of which some excerpts had been anticipated on September 14, on the day of the 70th birthday of Prevost.
Here’s what the Pope said.
Gaza and the genocide
«The word genocide is used more and more often. Officially, the Holy See does not believe that any declaration can be made at this time. There is a very technical definition of what genocide could be, but more and more people raise the matter, including two groups for human rights in Israel who have released this declaration ». The interview was released by Leone XIV at the end of July. In recent weeks, the appeals have followed, hard and decisive, to ask for the end of the war in the strip and to protect the Palestinian people. The last in the general hearing of 17 September in which Leone expressed his “Deep proximity to the Palestinian people in Gaza, who continue to live in fear and survive in unacceptable conditions, forced by force to move once again from their lands”.
Gaza and pressure on Israel
“On the situation in Gaza, Israel does not even respond to the appeals of the United States,” says the Pope, “Even with a certain pressure, I don’t know how big it has been behind the scenes, but also from the United States, which are obviously the third most important part that can exert pressure on Israel. Despite some very clear statements by the United States government, recently of President Trump, there has not been a clear response in terms of searching for effective ways to relieve the suffering of the population, the innocent of Gaza and this is obviously a source of great concern “. Pope Leone speaks of a “very difficult” future, “especially for children”, who suffer not only poverty but “even hunger” and will not just give them food. “They will need a lot of help, medical assistance and humanitarian aid, to really overturn the situation, and at the moment it still seems very, very serious”.
The United States politics and the relationship with Trump
“The fact that I am American means, among other things, that people cannot say, as they did with Francesco,” he does not understand the United States, simply does not see what is happening “. I have no intention of getting into part in the party. ” And on the relationship with Trump he states “That it would be much more appropriate that the leadership of the Church in the United States was committed to him.” What is certain is that if there were specific topics “I would have no problem doing it”. Trump himself recently said he had no intention of meeting the Pope, while, he added, “his brother is a good boy”. A reference to the older brother Louis, received in the oval studio a few days after the conclave. “One of my brothers met him and was very open on his political opinions,” said the Pope. Louis also speaks in another passage of the interview, when, describing the relationship with family members (in addition to the first, also the second brother John), he says: “We are still very close, even if one is politically very far”. Migrants’ policy in the USA «In the United States there are some things that arouse concern. In one of the latest conversations that I had with the Vice -President of the United States – I had no direct conversations with the president or I met him – I talked about human dignity and how important it is for all people, wherever you are born, and I hope you find ways to respect human beings and the way we treat them in the policies and choices we make. One thing that Francesco did towards the end of his pontificate and which I consider very significant, was the letter he wrote about the issue of the treatment of immigrants. I was very happy to see how the American bishops have received this idea, and some of them were brave enough to follow it. I think this approach, in general, is better, that is, that I am committed mainly with the bishops. The United States are a powerful actor worldwide, we must recognize it, and sometimes the decisions are made more based on the economy than to human dignity ».
LGBTQ people
«The Church continues to be open to” Everyone, all, all “, as said by Pope Francis, but I find highly unlikely, certainly in the near future, that the doctrine of the Church, in terms of what teaches on sexuality, what the Church teaches on marriage, will change. I have already talked about marriage, as Pope Francis did when he was Pope, of a family made up of a man and a woman in a solemn commitment, blessed in the sacrament of marriage. But even just to say it, I understand that some will take him badly ».
The crisis of the abuse of the clergy
The Pope speaks of abuse as “a real crisis” of the Church that “must continue to face because it has not been resolved. It will still take time because the victims must be treated with great respect and with the awareness that those who have undergone very deep wounds because of the abuses, sometimes bring them with them throughout their lives. It would be naive, on my part or anyone else, to think that, despite having granted them a sort of financial compensation, or that we have faced the cause and the priest has been fired, those wounds are destined to disappear on their own. At the same time, one of the factors that complicates the situation, and on which people are starting to speak more and more, is that the accused also have rights, and many of them believe that these rights have not been respected. Statistics show that well over 90% of the people who come forward and move accusations are authentic victims. They tell the truth. Nothing are invented. But there have also been proven cases of some kind of false accusation. There were priests whose life has been destroyed because of this. The law exists to protect everyone’s rights “but” to have, as far as possible, a reliable judicial system that respects everyone’s rights, it takes time “.
The role of women
The diaconate for women had been a question raised by some participants in the last Synod in the Vatican. “At the moment I am not going to change the teaching of the Church on the subject “, explains Leone,” I think there are some previous questions that must be asked. There are parts of the world that have never truly promoted the permanent diaconate, and this in itself has become a question: why should we speak of ordering women to the diaconate if the diaconate itself is not yet adequately understood, developed and promoted within the church? “.
The reforms in the Curia
Pope Leone heralds “decisions” in the Roman Curia as that of “dismantling or transforming the isolated way in which every dicastery operates”. A sort of “mentality of watertight compartments” for which, sometimes, dialogue and communication have been lacking. And this has sometimes been “great limitation and damage for the government of the Church”.
