VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
   YEAR XXII - # 168   
   DATE 29-09-2015   
      
   Summary:   
   - The Pope speaks almost an hour with journalists on flight from Philadelphia   
   - Communication and Mercy: a fruitful encounter   
   - "Cantate Domino", the music of Popes, recorded in the Sistine Chapel   
   - Other Pontifical Acts   
   - Vatican Radio   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    The Pope speaks almost an hour with journalists on flight from Philadelphia   
    Vatican City, 29 September 2015 (VIS) - During his return flight to Rome   
   following his apostolic trip to Cuba and the United States, Pope Francis   
   answered a number of questions posed by the journalists who accompanied him on   
   the papal flight.   
    The Holy Father first commented that he had been surprised in the United   
   States   
   by the warmth and friendliness of the people. He remarked that in Washington   
   D.C. the welcome was very warm but more formal than in New York, where   
   everything was more exuberant, while in Philadelphia it was more expressive.   
   "Three different approaches but the same welcome".   
    He also explained the reason for his meeting with the United States episcopate   
   in Washington D.C., where he felt the need to express to the prelates his   
   compassion with regard to cases of sexual abuse. "A horrible thing", he said,   
   "and many suffer because they did not know about it and are true men of the   
   Church, true pastors. ... And I spoke to them using words from the Bible, from   
   the   
   Book of Revelation: you are coming from a great tribulation, because what   
   happened was a 'great tribulation'. .. I would say almost a sacrilege. ... We   
   all   
   know that abuse has occurred in many places: in families, in the neighbourhood,   
   in schools, at gymnasiums ... But when a priest commits abuse it is very   
   serious,   
   because the vocation of the priest is to make that boy or girl grow in God's   
   love, towards emotional maturity. And instead this is crushed, it is damaged.   
   And this must not be concealed: those who have covered up these events are   
   equally guilty. It is dreadful. And the words I spoke were not intended to say,   
   "Don't worry, it's nothing". Instead I wanted to say, "It has been awful and I   
   imagine you have wept a lot". This was the meaning of what I said, and I spoke   
   firmly".   
    He affirmed that he understood those victims of abuse and their families who   
   felt unable to forgive the perpetrators. "Yes, I understand them. I pray for   
   them and I do not judge them. Once, at one of these meetings, a woman said to   
   me, 'When my mother discovered I had been abused, she blasphemed against God,   
   lost her faith and died an atheist'. And I understand her. And God, Who is   
   better than me, understands her. I am sure that He welcomed her. Because what   
   was abused, destroyed, was her own flesh, the flesh of her daughter".   
    With regard to the peace process in Colombia, he expressed his joy at the news   
   that an agreement between the FARC and the government will be signed in March.   
   "When I heard this, I asked the Lord, 'Let us arrive in March, may we arrive   
   with this good intention', as some small details remain to be clarified, but   
   the   
   will is present on both sides. Even in the small group; all three are in   
   agreement. We must await March for the definitive accord, which is the point of   
   international justice. I have spoken twice with President Santos on the matter.   
   And the Holy See is very open to assisting as far as possible".   
    Attention then turned to the immigration crisis in Europe. "It has become a   
   state of crisis after a long process. This process began years ago, as the wars   
   from which these people flee have been going on for years. Hunger: there has   
   been famine for years. When I think of Africa, I think of it as the exploited   
   continent. ... And I believe that instead of exploiting a continent, or a   
   country,   
   or the land, investments should be made so that the people can avoid this   
   crisis. It is true, there is a refugee crisis - as I said in Congress - on a   
   scale we have not seen since the last World War. ... But you know what happens   
   to   
   walls. All of them. All walls fall down, today, tomorrow, or a hundred years   
   from now. Eventually they crumble. Walls are not a solution. ... The problem   
   remains, and with more hatred".   
    Another question addressed the issue of expectations for the upcoming Synod on   
   the family and cases of divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, and the   
   recent   
   Motu Proprio facilitating the process of declaring nullity of marriage,   
   considered by some as opening the way to "Catholic divorce". Francis said that,   
   "in the reform of methods and procedures, I closed the door to the   
   administrative route, by which divorce could have entered more easily. And it   
   may be said to those who consider this to be Catholic divorce that they are   
   mistaken, since this last document closes the door to divorce that may   
   otherwise   
   enter - it would have been easier - via the administrative route. ... The Synod   
   Fathers asked for this: the streamlining of procedures for declaring nullity of   
   marriage. And I stop there. This document, this Motu Proprio, reduces the   
   length   
   of procedures, but it is not a divorce as marriage is indissoluble when there   
   is   
   a sacrament, and the Church cannot change this. It is part of her doctrine. It   
   is an indissoluble sacrament. The legislative procedure is to show that what   
   appeared to be a sacrament was in fact not a sacrament, for instance, due to   
   lack of freedom, or lack of maturity, or mental illness. ... Then there is the   
   problem of second marriages, of divorcees who make a new union. It seems to me   
   simplistic to say that the solution for these people is that that they can   
   share   
   in Communion. This is not the only solution. What the Instrumentum laboris   
   proposes is far more. The matter of new unions by divorced persons is not the   
   only problem. In the Instrumentum laboris there are many. For instance, young   
   people who do not get married, who do not want to marry. It is a pastoral   
   problem for the Church. Another problem is the emotional maturity necessary for   
   marriage. Another problem is faith. ... The Synod intends to think very   
   carefully   
   about preparation for marriage, which is one of the most difficult aspects".   
    The Holy Father also replied to a question regarding freedom of conscience for   
   public workers requested to sign documents or carry out procedures contrary to   
   their religious convictions. "I cannot bring to mind all the cases of   
   conscientious objection that may exist. But yes, I can say that conscientious   
   objection is a human right. It is a right, and if a person is prevented from   
   exercising their freedom of conscience, they are denied a right. Conscientious   
   objection must exist in all legal frameworks as it is a human right. Otherwise   
   we would end up in a situation where we select what is a right, saying 'this   
   right that has merit, this one does not'.   
    In relation to the bombing of Isis bases in Syria by the French air force, he   
   commented, "I do not have a good knowledge of how the situation will unfold. I   
   heard that Russia took one position and it wasn't clear yet about the United   
   States. I truly don't know what to say because I haven't fully understood the   
   situation. But, when I hear the word bombing, death, blood... I repeat what I   
   said   
   in Congress and at the UN, to avoid these things. But, I don't know, I can't   
   judge the political situation because I don't know enough about it".   
    He went on to answer a question on the relations between the Holy See and   
   China. "China is a great nation that offers the world a great culture and many   
   good things. I said once, in the aircraft flying over China, that I would very   
   much like to visit China. I love the Chinese people. ... I hope that there   
   will be   
   opportunities to establish good relations. ... We are in contact and we are   
   talking. For me to have a friend in a great country like China, which has so   
   much culture and has so much opportunity to do good, would be a great joy".   
    "Will we one day see women priests in the Catholic Church?", was another   
   question. "No, that cannot be done", answered the Pope. "After discussion and   
   long reflection St. John Paul II, said so clearly. Not because women don't have   
   the capacity. In the Church women are more important than men, because the   
   Church is a woman. ... The Church is the bride of Jesus Christ. And the   
   Madonna is   
   more important than Popes, bishops and priests. I must admit we are a bit late   
   in developing a theology of women. We have to move ahead with that theology.   
   Yes, that's true".   
    "In the United States you have become a star. Is it good for the Church for   
   the   
   Pope to be a star?" was the final question. "The title Popes use and must is   
   'Servant of the servants of God'", replied Francis. "It is different to being a   
   star. ... Yes, in the media this word is used, but the reality is quite   
   different.   
   How many stars are there whose light goes out, that fall. It is a fleeting   
   thing. Instead, being the servant of the servants of God, this is good. This   
   does not come to an end".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Communication and Mercy: a fruitful encounter   
    Vatican City, 29 September 2015 (VIS) "Communication and mercy: a fruitful   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)