In an interview published this Sunday, December 18, by the Spanish daily ABC, Francis reveals that at the beginning of his pontificate he presented a letter to the then Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, declaring that if the worst came to the worst, he would renounce it and make it permanent health problems. The Pope also mentions a trip to Marseille for the Mediterranean Meeting.
Salvatore Cernuzio – Vatican City
Almost ten years ago, at the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis presented his then Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, with a letter of waiver “in the event of disability for health reasons”. It is Pope Francis himself who made this decision that Pope Paul VI. had already met before him, in the in-depth interview with the Spanish daily ABC this Sunday the 18th, Francis answers questions from editor-in-chief Julián Quirós and Javier Martínez-Brocal, ABC’s Vatican correspondent, and touches on many topics on current affairs in the church and the world. In particular, he addresses the war in Ukraine, which he says he sees “no short-term end because it is a world war”, abuse cases, the role of women, Brazilian President Lula da Silva and Catalonia, the renunciation of Benedict XVI in 2013 and his possible retirement.
The Waiver Letter
It is in this context that Francis reveals the existence of this letter. “I have already signed my waiver. It was when Tarcisio Bertone was foreign minister. I signed my waiver and said to him, “In case of medical or other disability, here is my waiver.” You have it. I don’t know who Bertone gave it to, but I gave it to him when he was Secretary of State. “Do you want that to be known?” ask the two journalists. “That’s why I’m telling you,” replies Francis, recalling that Paul VI. had delivered a similar letter in writing in case of disability and that Pius XII probably did the same. had done. “I’m saying that for the first time,” adds the sovereign Pope. “Now maybe someone will go and ask Bertone: Give me this letter … (laughs). He must have given it to the new foreign minister. I gave it to him as Secretary of State.”
The war in Ukraine: enormous cruelty
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, the Pope said bluntly: “What is happening in Ukraine is frightening. There is tremendous cruelty. This is very serious…”. For Francis, “there is no end in sight in the short term: this is a world war. Let’s not forget that. There are already several parties involved in the war. It is global , when an empire begins to weaken and when weapons need to be used, sold and tested. It seems to me that many interests are at stake.” I’m doing what I can. They don’t listen,” he replies. The Pope confirms that he receives and listens to everyone: “Volodymir Zelenskyy has sent me one of his religious advisors for the third time. I am in touch, I receive, I help…”.
ABC Daily Letter
The diplomacy of the Holy See: its weapon is dialogue
The Pope’s activities are coordinated with the diplomatic activities of the Holy See. In this context, the two interviewers ask why the Vatican is so reluctant to denounce totalitarian regimes like that of Ortega in Nicaragua or Maduro in Venezuela. “The Holy See is always trying to save peoples. His weapon is dialogue and diplomacy,” Pope Francis replies. “The Holy See never walks alone. He would be expelled. He always tries to salvage and salvage diplomatic relations, which can be salvaged with patience and dialogue.”
Abuse: “Only one case is outrageous”
No diplomacy, on the other hand, on the part of the Pope to stigmatize cases of abuse within the clergy: “It is very painful, very painful,” he says, referring to the meetings with the victims, which underlined his pontificate. “These are people destroyed by those who should have helped them mature and grow. It is very difficult. Even if this was just a case, it is outrageous that the person who was supposed to lead you to God destroys you along the way. And on this point, no negotiation is possible,” explains the sovereign Pope.
The role of the woman
In the interview granted to ABC, emphasis is also placed on issues of an “ecclesiastical” nature, beginning with a possible leadership role for women within the Roman Curia. “There will be,” assures François. “I have one in mind for a dicastery that will be empty in two years. There is nothing to prevent a woman from leading a dicastery in which a lay person can be prefect.” “If it is a sacramental dicastery, it must be headed by a priest or a bishop,” he insisted.
Tomorrow, Sunday, December 18, the Spanish daily ABC will publish a long interview with Pope Francis, given to the newspaper editor Julian Quiros and the Vaticanist…
Future Conclaves
Francis then softens the controversy that the work of future conclaves could be complicated by the fact that the cardinals he created, all from different and distant places, know little about each other. Of course there could be problems “from a human point of view”, but “it is the Holy Spirit who is at work in the conclave”, explains the Pope. And he recalls the suggestion of a German cardinal during the August sessions on the Apostolic Constitution Predicate Gospel that “only the cardinals living in Rome take part in the election of the new pope”. “Is that the universality of the Church?” asks the Bishop of Rome.
Benedict XVI: a saint, a great man
In the interview, the relationship with his predecessor Benedict XVI. themed. “A saint” and “a man of deep spiritual life,” the Pope said of his predecessor, revealing that he often visited him and was always “edified” by his transparent gaze. “He has a good sense of humor, he is clear, very lively, he speaks softly but follows the conversation. I admire its clarity. That’s a great man.” Pope Francis, meanwhile, says he has no intention of defining the legal status of the pope emeritus: “I feel like the Holy Spirit has no interest in my dealing with these things.”
Francis and his predecessor Benedict XVI
The Church in Germany
Referring to the Church in Germany, which is grappling with an internal synodal process that had provoked and is still provoking various reactions, including negative ones, Pope Francis recalls his “very clear” letter written in June 2019: “ I wrote it myself . It took me a month. It was a letter, as if to say, “Brothers, think about it.”
The question of Catalonia
The Pope goes on to explain in the interview that a trip to Marseille for the Mediterranean meeting is planned, but specifies that it is not a trip to France and that the priority of his apostolic trips is to visit the small countries of Europe. When asked about Catalonia and its desire for independence, François explained that “each country must find its own historical path to solve these problems”. There is no “one size fits all” solution. He then cites the case of North Macedonia or South Tyrol in Italy, which have their own status. As for the Church’s role in this matter, he instead emphasizes: “What the Church cannot do is propaganda for one side or the other, but it can accompany people so that they find a definitive solution”. In the same way, the Pope reiterates that “it is not good for a priest to get involved in politics… The priest is a pastor. It is designed to help people make the right decisions. Join her. But don’t be a politician. If you want to be a politician, leave the priesthood and become a politician.”
Rereading history with the hermeneutics of time
When asked about the negative reinterpretation of the discovery of America, Francis invited to interpret a historical event with the hermeneutics of the time and not the present. “It’s obvious people were being killed there, he said, it’s obvious there was exploitation, but the Indians were also killing each other. The atmosphere of war was not exported by the Spaniards. And the conquest belonged to all. I distinguish between colonization and conquest. I don’t want to say that Spain simply “conquered”. It’s controversial as much as you want, but she’s “colonized”.
The Lula Affair
Another case brought to the Pope’s attention concerns the new President of Brazil, Inácio Lula d Silva. A “paradigmatic” file because the trial of the political leader – who was convicted of passive corruption after spending 580 days in prison – was barred from running in the 2018 presidential election until 2021, when the Supreme Court ruled out all convictions lifted – opened with fake news . This false information, says the pope, “created an atmosphere conducive to his trial. The problem of fake news about political and social leaders is very serious. They can destroy a person”. In the specific case of Lula, according to Pope Francis, it was not a tailor-made trial. “Beware, he warns, of those who create the atmosphere of a trial, whatever it may be. They do this through the media to influence those who judge and decide. A trial needs to be as clean as possible, with first class courts that have no other interest than to uphold clean justice.”
Motu Proprio to Opus Dei
The Motu Proprio Ad Charisma tuendum of last July on Opus Dei is discussed at the end of the interview. “Some, comments the Holy Father, have said: “Finally the Pope has punished Opus Dei…!”. I didn’t punish anyone. And others, on the contrary, said: “Ah, the Pope invades us!”. Nothing of the same. The problem is a resizing that needed to be resolved. It is not right to exaggerate, victimize, or punish them. Please. I am a great friend of Opus Dei, I like the people of Opus Dei very much and they work well in the Church. The good they do is very great.”
With the Motu Proprio “Ad charisma tuendum” the Pope orders the transfer of responsibility for Opus Dei to the Dicastery for the clergy. He also notes that his prelate…