Another Revealing Interview

Oct 1, 2013 | 2 comments

La Repubblica

Here are some quotes from a recent dialogue between Pope Francis and the Italian newspaper La Repubblica’s founder, Eugenio Scalfari. (Follow link below to heard the whole article).

“The most serious of the evils that afflict the world these days are youth unemployment and the loneliness of the old. The old need care and companionship; the young need work and hope but have neither one nor the other, and the problem is they don’t even look for them any more. They have been crushed by the present. You tell me: can you live crushed under the weight of the present? Without a memory of the past and without the desire to look ahead to the future by building something, a future, a family? Can you go on like this? This, to me, is the most urgent problem that the Church is facing.”

“Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.”

“The Son of God became incarnate in the souls of men to instill the feeling of brotherhood. All are brothers and all children of God.”

Vatican II, inspired by Pope Paul VI and John, decided to look to the future with a modern spirit and to be open to modern culture. The Council Fathers knew that being open to modern culture meant religious ecumenism and dialogue with non-believers. But afterwards very little was done in that direction. I have the humility and ambition to want to do something.”

“This is the beginning of a Church with an organization that is not just top-down but also horizontal. When Cardinal Martini talked about focusing on the councils and synods he knew how long and difficult it would be to go in that direction. Gently, but firmly and tenaciously.”

“And I believe in God, not in a Catholic God, there is no Catholic God, there is God and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator.”

 

Read article in full here:  The Pope – How the Church will change

 

2 Comments

  1. Mary O Vallely

    “Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us. Sometimes after a meeting I want to arrange another one because new ideas are born and I discover new needs. This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by roads that come closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they lead towards the Good.”
    Again and again this Pope emphasises the need for dialogue, for meeting with each other, for listening to each other. How long must it take before some of the hierarchy actually heed these wise words? There is such a thirst for and such a need for dialogue, both within and outside the church. Pope Francis is setting us all an example but will we follow??

    Reply

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