Pope Francis gives his customary press conference on his return from Japan (Vatican Media)

POPE

The Pope: not using or possessing nuclear arms will be added to the Catechism

During the in-flight press conference aboard the plane bringing him back to Rome from Japan, Pope Francis answers journalists’ questions on a variety of issues: from the immoral use and possession of atomic weapons, to the financial investigation inside the Vatican.

By Vatican News

"The use of nuclear weapons is immoral, which is why it must be added to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Not only their use, but also possessing them: because an accident or the madness of some government leader, one person’s madness can destroy humanity.”

In addition to repeating this strong message pronounced at Hiroshima, Pope Francis responded to many questions posed to him by the journalists during the flight bringing them back to Rome from Japan.

Now follows an unofficial translation of the in-flight press conference.

"I thank you for your work, for an intense journey with a categoric change: Thailand was one thing and Japan another. You can't evaluate these two with the same categories. Realities must be evaluated from within same category. Japan and Thailand are two completely different realities. That's why double work is needed, and I thank you for that, even on very full days, I felt close to you in this job.”

Father Makoto Yamamoto, Catholic Shimbum

Thank you very much for coming to Japan from so far away. I am a diocesan priest. I live nearNagasaki. You saw Nagasaki and Hiroshima. How did you feel? Does the Church and society in the West have anything to learn from the Church and society in the East?

"I will begin with the last question. The saying lux ex Oriente, ex Occidente luxus inspired me a lot. Light comes from the East; luxury, consumerism, come from the West. There is this type of Eastern wisdom, which is not only the wisdom of knowing, but of time, of contemplation. It would be very helpful to our Western society, which is always in too much of a hurry, to learn contemplation, the act of stopping and looking poetically at things too. This is a personal opinion, but I think the West could do with a little more poetry. There are some beautiful poetic things, but the East goes beyond. The East is capable of looking at things with eyes that go beyond. I don’t want to use the word "transcendent" because some Eastern religions don't mention transcendence, but have a vision that goes beyond the limit of immanence, but without saying transcendence. That is why I use expressions like poetry, superfluous [gratuità], the search for personal perfection through fasting, penance, reading the wisdom of the Eastern sages. I believe it would do us Westerners good to stop a bit and give time to wisdom.

“Nagasaki and Hiroshima both suffered [as a result of] the atomic bomb, and this makes them appear similar. But there is a difference: Nagasaki not only experienced the bomb, but it also had Christians. Nagasaki has Christian roots. Christianity goes way back. There was a persecution of Christians throughout Japan, but it was very strong in Nagasaki. The secretary of the Nunciature gave me a wooden facsimile with the "Wanted" sign of that time on it: Christians wanted! If you find one, turn him in and you will get a reward. If you find a priest turn him in, and you will get a big reward. This leaves an impression: there were centuries of persecution. This is a Christian phenomenon that somehow "relativizes", in the good sense of the word, the atomic bomb. Going to Hiroshima, instead, was solely to commemorate the atomic bomb attack, because it is not a Christian city like Nagasaki. That is why I wanted to go to both. There was the atomic disaster in both.

“Hiroshima was a real human catechesis on cruelty. I could not visit the Hiroshima museum because time did not permit, because it was a difficult day. But they say it's terrible. There are letters from Heads of State, Generals explaining how a greater disaster could be produced. The experience was much more touching for me. And there I reiterated that the use of nuclear weapons is immoral, that is why it must be added to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Not only their use, but also possessing them: because an accident or the madness of some government leader, one person’s madness can destroy humanity. The words of Einstein come to mind: ‘The Fourth World War will be fought with sticks and stones.’ ”

Shinichi Kawarada, The Asahi Shimbum

As you rightly pointed out, lasting peace cannot be achieved without disarmament. Japan is a country that enjoys the nuclear protection of the USA, and is also a producer of nuclear energy, which entails a great risk, as happened at Fukushima. How can Japan contribute to world peace? Should nuclear power plants be shut down?

"Returning to the possession of nuclear power plants: an accident can always happen. You experienced the triple disaster.[1] Nuclear power has limits (let's leave out nuclear weapons because they are destructive). The use of nuclear power has limits because we have not yet achieved absolute safety. You could tell me that even electricity could cause a disaster because of lack of safety, but it would be a very small disaster. A nuclear power plant disaster will be huge disaster. Safety systems have not been worked out yet. It is my personal opinion, but I would not use nuclear energy until its use is completely safe. Some say it is a risk for the care of creation and that using nuclear energy must be stopped. I stop at safety. There is no guarantee ensuring that a disaster does not happen. Yes, one every ten years in the world. Then there is creation. The disaster nuclear power causes on creation, on the human person. There was the disaster in Ukraine.[2] We have to conduct research regarding safety, both to avoid disasters and because of the environmental consequences. I believe we have breached the limit regarding the environment – with pesticides in agriculture, with raising chickens that doctors tell mothers not to feed their children because they are given hormones and are bad for your health. There are so many rare diseases today because of an incorrect use of the environment. Either care of the environment takes place today, or it never will. But returning to nuclear energy: construction, safety and care of creation".

Elisabetta Zunica, Kyoto News

Akamada Iwao is a Japanese person sentenced to death and awaiting a review of the trial. He was present at the Mass at the Tokyo Dome, but did not have the opportunity to speak with you. Was a brief meeting with you planned? In Japan, the issue of the death penalty is very much under discussion. Thirteen death sentences were carried out shortly before the revision of the Catechism on this issue. There is no reference to that in your speeches. Did you have the opportunity to discuss this with Prime Minister Shinto Abe?

"I heard about that case regarding the death penalty later. I did not know about that person. I spoke about many problems with the Prime Minister: trials, sentences that never end, either with or without death. I spoke of general problems that exist in other countries as well: overcrowded prisons, people kept waiting with preventive imprisonment without the presumption of innocence. Fifteen days ago, I gave a speech at the International Conference on Criminal Law and I spoke seriously on this subject. The death penalty cannot be carried out, it is immoral. This must be connected to developing consciousness. For example, some countries cannot abolish it because of political problems, but they do suspend it, which is a way of sentencing someone to life in prison without declaring so. But any sentence must always allow for reintegration, a sentence without a ray of hope is inhuman. Even when it comes to life imprisonment, one must think how the person serving a life sentence can be reintegrated, inside or outside. You will tell me: but there are people sentenced because of problems of insanity, sickness, genetic incorrigibility... In that case, a way to make them feel like people must be sought. Prisons are overcrowded in many parts of the world; they are warehouses of humanity. Instead of getting better, many times they are corrupted. We must combat the death penalty slowly. There are cases that make me happy because some countries say: we will stop. Last year, before leaving office, a State Governor made its suspension almost definitive. these are steps taken by a human conscience. But some countries have not yet succeeded in incorporating themselves into this humane way of thinking."

Jean-Marie Guénois, Le Figaro

Good day, Holy Father. You said that true peace can exist be a “disarmed” peace. But what about legitimate defence, when one country is attacked by another? In that case, does the possibility of a “just war” still exist? A small question… there was talk about an encyclical on non-violence. Do you still plan such an encyclical on non-violence? Two questions… Thank you, Holy Father.

"Yes, the plan exists, but the next Pope will do it… There are other projects on the back burner. One of them is on peace. It's maturing. I feel I will do it when the time comes. For example, the problem of bullying is a problem of violence. I specifically spoke about it to the Japanese young people. It is a problem we are trying to solve with many educational programs. It is a problem of violence. I don’t feel ready yet to write an encyclical on non-violence, I have to pray a lot and find the way.

There's that Roman saying, “Si vis pacem para bellum” (“If you want peace prepare for war”). We have not made progress there: international organizations don’t succeed, the United Nations don’t succeed. They mediate often and well: countries like Norway are always willing to mediate. I like that, but it's insufficient, we need to do even more. Take the UN Security Council: if there is a problem with armaments and everyone agrees to solve the problem to avoid a conflict, everyone votes “yes”. One country with the right of veto votes “no”, and everything stops. I can’t judge whether it’s a good idea or not, but I have heard it said that perhaps the United Nations should take a step forward and remove certain nations’ right of veto in the Security Council. I heard this was a possibility. There are issues regarding the international equilibrium that I cannot judge right now. But everything that can be done to stop arms production, to stop wars, to encourage negotiation, with the help of mediators, must always be done, and it produces results. For example, the case of Ukraine and Russia wasn’t about weapons, but about negotiating a prisoner exchange, and this was positive. In Donbass, they are thinking about planning a different governmental regime. Discussions are underway. This is a positive step.

“The ugly hypocrisy of the ‘arms trade’. Christian countries, European countries that talk about peace and live off weapons. This is hypocrisy, a word from the Gospels: Jesus said it in Matthew, Chapter 23. We have to stop this hypocrisy. It takes courage to say: "I can't talk about peace, because my economy earns so much through arms sales’”. These are all things we need to say, without insulting and vilifying any country, but speaking as brothers and sisters, for the sake of human fraternity: we must stop because this is a terrible thing. A ship arrived in port from a country, that was supposed to hand over weapons to another ship that was going to Yemen, and the port workers said "no". They did a good thing and the ship returned home. That’s one case, but it shows us in which direction we need to go. Today, peace is very weak but we must not be discouraged. The idea of legitimate defense is always valid; even moral theology allows for it, but as a last resort. The use of arms is a last resort. Legitimate defence must go through diplomacy, mediation. Legitimate defence with weapons is a last resort. I insist: a last resort! We are making ethical progress of which I approve, putting all these things into question. What is beautiful about this is that it confirms humanity moves towards good, not only toward evil.”

Cristiana Caricato, TV2000

People are reading in the newspapers that the Holy See has purchased properties for hundreds of millions of euro in the centre of London. People are a bit disconcerted by this use of Vatican finances, particularly when Peter’s Pence is involved. Were you aware of these financial operations, and, above all, in your opinion, is the use made of Peter’s Pence correct? You have often said that money should not be made with money, you have denounced the unscrupulous use of finances, but then we see that the Holy See is involved in these operations, and we are shocked. How do you view the whole affair?

“Thank you. First of all, good administration: when the money from Peter’s Pence comes in, what do I do, put it in a drawer? No, that would be bad administration. I try to invest it, and when I want to give it away, when there are needs, in a year, I take it, and the capital hasn’t devalued, it’s stayed the same, or grown a little. This is good administration. ‘Putting money in a drawer’ is bad administration. What we need is good administration, good investments. Is that clear? Even what, in Argentina, we call ‘widow-style’ investments: the way widows leave two eggs here, three here, five there. If one breaks, there is another and nothing is ruined. It’s always safe and always moral. If you invest Peter’s Pence in an weapons factory, that’s not where Peter’s Pence should be. If you make an investment and don’t touch the capital for years, it’s not right. Peter’s Pence must be spent within a year, or a year and a half, until the next collection is made around the world. This is good administration, a safe one. And yes, you can purchase a property, rent it out and then sell it, but always safely, taking all the necessary measures for the good of the people and of Peter’s Pence. Then what happened, happened. A scandal. They did things that appear not to be clean. But the accusation did not come from outside. The economic reform, already introduced by Benedict XVI, was implemented, and it was the internal Auditor who said: something bad is going on here, something’s not right. He came to me, and I asked him: ‘Are you sure?’ ‘Yes’, he said, and he showed me the figures. ‘What must I do?’ he asked. I told him there is the Vatican justice system and he should go and report this to the Promoter of Justice. I was pleased about this because it shows the Vatican administration now has the resources to shed light on the bad things that happen internally, like in this case. And if it is not the case of the London property - because this remains unclear – there was corruption nonetheless. The Promoter of Justice studied it, carried consultations and saw there were problems on the balance sheet. He then asked me for permission to proceed with the search. The presumption of corruption exists and he told me what he would have to do in this, that or the other office. I signed the authorization. Five offices were searched. Today, although there is the presumption of innocence, there is capital that is not administered well, even corruptly. I believe that with a month the depositions will begin of the five people who were suspended because there was evidence. You may ask me: “But are these five people corrupt?” No. The presumption of innocence is a guarantee, a human right. But there is corruption. We can see it. The results of the search will show whether they are guilty or not. It’s bad thing, it is not good for these things to be happening inside the Vatican. But they are being resolved by internal mechanisms that Pope Benedict XVI introduced, and that are beginning to work. I thank God for this. I don’t thank him for the corruption, but because the Vatican’s control system works well.”

Philip Pullella, Reuters

In recent weeks there has been concern about developments in Vatican finances and some say there is an internal war regarding who controls the money. Most of the members of the AIF (Vatican Financial Authority) have resigned. The Egmont Group, which is the association of these financial authorities, suspended the Vatican from its secure communications after the raid of October 1. AIF’s Director is still suspended, as you said, and there is still no Auditor General. What can you do or say to assure the international financial community and the faithful called to contribute to Peter’s Pence that the Vatican will not once again be considered a pariah to be kept excluded and mistrusted, and that the reforms will continue and there will be no returning to past ways of doing things?

"The Vatican has made progress in its administration: for example, today the IOR[3] is now accepted by all banks and can act like Italian banks, something that was not yet there a year ago, hence there has been progress. Then, regarding the Egmont Group, it is an unofficial international group, a group to which AIF belongs, and international control doesn't depend on the Egmont Group, which is a private group even if it is highly regarded. Moneyval will do the inspection scheduled for the first months of next year; it will do it. AIF’s Director was suspended because there were suspicions of poor administration. AIF’s President tried to retrieve the [sequestered] documents with the help of the Egmont Group, something the [Vatican] justice system cannot do. Faced with this, I consulted an Italian magistrate of good standing about what to do. Justice in the face of an accusation of corruption is something sovereign to a country, no one can meddle in it, no one can give the papers to the Egmont Group. The papers that might bring to light that which seems to be bad administration, in the sense of bad supervision, must be studied. It seems that it was the AIF that did not control others’ crimes. Its duty was to supervise. I hope that it will be proved that this is not the case. Right now there is the presumption of innocence. For the moment, the magistrate is sovereign and must study what happened, otherwise a country would be subject to a higher administration that would damage its sovereignty. The mandate of the AIF President expired on 19 [November]. I had called him a few days earlier and he wasn’t aware of that, he told me later. I announced that he was leaving on the 19th. I have already found his successor, a magistrate, highly esteemed at juridical and economic levels, nationally and internationally. On my return, he will assume the office of President of AIF. It would have been a contradiction if the supervisory authority had sovereignty over the State. This is not an easy thing to understand. What has been a little worrying is the Egmont Group, which is a private group: it helps a lot but it does not have the authoritative control of Moneyval. Moneyval will study the numbers, the procedures, how the Promoter of Justice acted, and how the judge and judges determined the matter. I know that in these days the interrogation of some of the five that have been suspended will begin. It is not easy, but we must not be naive, we must not be slaves. Someone told me: “But I don't believe it: the fact about the Egmont Group that’s been brought up, people are frightened that it is a bit of terrorism [psychological]. Let's leave that aside. We go ahead with the law, with Moneyval and with the new AIF President. And the director is suspended: let’s hope he is innocent, I would like it to be so because it's a good thing that a person be innocent and not guilty, I hope so. But some noise was made regarding this Group who didn't want the papers pertaining to the group to be touched.

It's the first time in the Vatican that the pot has been uncovered from inside, not from outside. It has been many times from outside. They have told us many times and it was really embarrassing... But Pope Benedict was wise, he began a process that has matured, and now there are institutions. That the Auditor had the courage to make a written complaint against five people, [shows] it’s working... I really don't want to offend the Egmont Group because it does so much good, it helps, but in this case, the sovereignty of the State is a question of justice, which is more sovereign than the executive power. It's not easy to understand but I ask you to understand it.”

Roland Juchem, CIC

Holy Father, on the flight from Bangkok to Tokyo you sent a telegram to Carrie Lam of Hong Kong. What do you think of the situation there, with the demonstrations and the municipal elections? And when will we be able to accompany you to Beijing?

“The telegrams are sent to all Heads of State, it’s an automatic greeting; and it is also a polite way to request permission to fly over their territory. This does not mean either condemnation or support. It is a mechanical thing that all planes do when they technically enter, they advise that they are entering, and we do it out of courtesy. This does not really answer your question; the telegram is only a courtesy.

"With regard to the other question you asked me: when we think about it, it’s not just Hong Kong. Think about Chile, think about France, democratic France: a year of yellow jackets. Think of Nicaragua, think of other Latin American countries that have problems like this, and even some European countries. It’s something general. How does the Holy See handle this? It calls for dialogue, for peace. But it’s not only Hong Kong, there are various problematic situations that I am unable to evaluate at the moment. I respect peace and I ask for peace for all these countries that have problems, Spain too. It is better to put things in perspective and to call for dialogue, for peace, so that problems can be resolved. And finally: I would like to go to Beijing, I love China."

Valentina Alazraki, Televisa

Pope Francis, Latin America is in flames. We have seen after Venezuela and Chile images we did not think we would see after Pinochet. We have seen the situation in Bolivia, Nicaragua, or other countries: revolts, violence in the streets, deaths, injuries, even churches burnt, violated. What is your analysis on what is happening in these countries? Is the Church – and you personally as a Latin American Pope – doing something?

“Someone told me this: An analysis needs to be done. The situation today in Latin America resembles that of 1974-1980, in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay with Strössner, and even Bolivia I think… they had Operation Condor at that time. A situation in flames, but I don’t know if it is the same problem or another. Honestly, at this moment I’m not able to do the analysis on this. It is true there are declarations that are not exactly peaceful. What is happening in Chile frightens me, because Chile is emerging from a problem of abuse that have caused much suffering, and now there is a kind of problem we don’t understand well. But it is in flames as you say, and dialogue must be sought, as well as analysis. I still haven’t found a good analysis done on the situation in Latin America. And also there are weak, very weak governments, who haven’t been able to establish order and peace; and for this reason, we’ve come to this situation."

Evo Morales has requested your mediation, for example. Something concrete…

“Yes, something concrete. Venezuela has requested mediation, and the Holy See is always willing. There is a good relationship, really a good relationship, we are present there to help when necessary. Bolivia did something like that, made a request to the United Nations, which sent delegates, and someone from some European nation as well. I don’t know if Chile has made some request for international mediation; Brazil, certainly hasn’t, but there are some problems there, too. It’s a bit strange, but I don’t want to say a word more because I am not qualified and I have not studied it well, and honestly I don’t understand it very well either.

"I take advantage of your question to add that you have spoken little about Thailand, which is different from Japan, a culture of transcendence, a culture of beauty too, different from the beauty of Japan: a culture, so much poverty, so many spiritual riches. But there is also a problem that wounds the heart, that makes us think of “Greece and the others”. You are an expert in this problem of exploitation, you have studied it well, and your book has done a lot of good. And Thailand, some places in Thailand, are difficult in that regard. But there is southern Thailand, and there is also beautiful northern Thailand, where I was not able to go, that is tribal and has a completely different culture. I received about twenty people from that region, first Christians, first baptized, who came to Rome, with another, different culture, those tribal cultures. And Bangkok, we saw, is a big, very modern city; but has some problems different from those of Japan, and has riches different from those of Japan. I wanted to emphasize the problem of exploitation in order to thank you for your book, as I would also like to thank Franca Giansoldati for her “green” book: two women on the plane, each of whom has written a book, treating modern problems: the ecological problem and the problem of the destruction of mother earth, of the environment; and the problem of human exploitation that you have touched on. This proves that women work more than men and are capable. Thank you, both of you, for this contribution. And I still haven’t forgotten Rocio’s shirt.[4]"

And thank you for asking direct questions, that’s good. Enjoy for me. Enjoy your lunch.

This is a working translation from a non-official transcript done by Alessandro Guarasci and Andrea Tornielli.

[1] Editor’s note: the earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear disaster of the Fukushima power plant in 2011.
[2] Editor’s note: in Chernobyl, in 1986.
[3] Editor's note: Institute for the Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican Bank.
[4] Editor's note: The reference is to the shirt of a murdered Mexican woman that Valentina Alazraki had given to Pope Francis during a recent video interview.

Topics

26 November 2019, 19:30

********************************************

16 December 2019 Monday

Pope Francis preaches in the Casa Santa Marta (Vatican Media)

POPE FRANCIS

Pope at Mass: Lukewarm Christians put God in a corner / 미지근한 냉당동 동장같은 신도들이 하느님을 막다른 골목길 궁지로 몰아넣고 있도다 !

In his homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Monday, Pope Francis describes two attitudes of lukewarm Christians – “putting God in a corner and washing their hands of Him”.

By Vatican News

Pope Francis took his cue from the day’s Gospel (Mt 21:23-27), in which the chief priests confront Jesus about the origin of His teaching authority.

Jesus turns the question around and asks his interrogators whether John the Baptist’s authority came from God. They claim not to know, and refuse to take a position on the matter.

Pope Francis said the chief priests’ questioning reveals two attitudes of lukewarm Christians: wanting to put God in a corner and to wash our hands of challenges.

The Pope called these attitudes “dangerous” because they are “like challenging God”. If God did the same with us, he said, “we would never enter Paradise”.

Two wishy-washy attitudes

Pope Francis noted that Jesus taught, exhorted, and healed people. This caused consternation among the chief priests and the elders, he said, because Jesus’ kindness and care “led all people to Him”.

So the religious leaders challenged His authority.

Jesus, said the Pope, wisely returned the favor by asking about the authority of John the Baptist, whom they did not believe but did not oppose out of fear of his supporters.

Mediocrity

The Holy Father called their middle-of-the-road position “a mediocre attitude” and “one taken by liars of the faith”.

“It was not only Pilate who washed his hands of Jesus; these men do so too: ‘We do not know.’ Not entering into relationship with others, not getting involved in their problems, not fighting for their rights, not fighting to heal the many people who are in need, saying ‘It’s best not to. Let’s not dirty our hands with this.’”

‘Rosewater Christians’

Pope Francis said Jesus refuses to answer his interrogators with their same song: “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

“These are two attitudes of lukewarm Christians, of us – as my grandmother said – ‘rosewater Christians’: Christians without substance. One puts God in a corner: ‘Either you do this for me or I won’t go to Church anymore’. And how does Jesus respond? ‘Okay, go. Deal with it yourself.’”

Backing down

The other attitude, added Pope Francis, is to wash our hands of everything, “like the disciples traveling toward Emmaus on the morning of the Resurrection”.

“Many Christians wash their hands when faced with the challenges posed by society, history, or people of their time, even regarding the smallest difficulties. How often do we hear about cheap Christians who refuse to give alms to one who asks for it: ‘No, I won’t give anything because he will just get drunk.’ They wash their hands… Putting God in a corner and washing one’s hands are two dangerous attitudes, because they are like challenging God. We can imagine what would happen if the Lord put us in a corner. We would never enter Paradise. And what would happen if the Lord washed His hands of us? Poor things.”

Make straight His path

In conclusion, Pope Francis invited us to ask whether either of these attitudes resides in our hearts.

If so, he urged, we should banish them “to make straight the path of the Lord who is coming.”

Programs Podcast 06:45 Vatican & World news

POPE

무력으로 원주민들을 그들이 살던 땅과 집에서 내쫓아 떠나게 하는 것은 이 시대 우리 모두가 책임이 있는 불의이며, 또한 원주민들이 피난 도중에 지중해 바다에서 항해 중 익사하는 것을 방관하고, 방치하려는 것은 더욱 큰 불의가 아닌가?!.

-교황님 말씀,2019/12/19, 로마, 바티칸의 목소리 변몬시뇰 역술-

Pope Francis: It's injustice that causes migrants to die at sea -

Pope Francis meets recently arrived refugees from the Greek island of Lesbos and unveils a cross in the Vatican’s Belvedere Courtyard to remember all migrants and refugees who are forced to make perilous journeys in search of a better life.

By Lydia O'Kane

Two life jackets that tell their own story: The first one was given to the Pope a few years ago by a group of rescuers; The vest belonged to a girl who drowned in the Mediterranean. The second one, delivered to Pope Francis by another group of rescuers just a few days ago, belonged to a migrant who was lost at sea last July. No one knows who he was or where he came from.

The Pope on Thursday told 33 refugees recently arrived from the Greek island of Lesbos through a humanitarian corridor, that he had donated the first life jacket to the two undersecretaries from the Migrants and Refugees Section, at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, telling them ‘This is your mission’.

The Pontiff said he wanted it “to mean the inescapable commitment of the Church to save the lives of migrants, so that then we could welcome, protect, promote and integrate them.”

Injustice that forces many migrants to leave their lands

Addressing those gathered in the Belvedere Courtyard in the Vatican, Pope Francis underlined that it was injustice that forced many migrants to leave their lands, and to suffer abuse and torture in detention camps. “It is injustice that rejects them and causes them to die at sea”, he said.

The cross a symbol of suffering and salvation

십자가는 고통과 구원의 표징 !

In the Christian tradition, noted the Pope, “the cross is a symbol of suffering and sacrifice, but also of redemption and salvation. Unveiling, what he called, a “crucified” life jacket on a transparent resin cross, Pope Francis said he decided to do this to, “remind us that we must keep our eyes open ..., keep our hearts open ..., to remind everyone of the indispensable commitment to save every human life, a moral duty that unites believers and non-believers.”

“Our ignorance is a sin” 우리의 무지함역시 죄악이다

“How can we fail to hear the desperate cry of so many brothers and sisters who prefer to face a stormy sea rather than die slowly in Libyan detention camps, places of torture and ignoble slavery?”, stressed the Pope. “How can we remain indifferent to the abuses and violence of which they are innocent victims, leaving them at the mercy of unscrupulous traffickers? How can we "go further", like the priest and the Levite of the parable of the Good Samaritan, making ourselves responsible for their death” Our ignorance is a sin”, he said.

Pope Francis went on to say that it is not by blocking the rescue ships that the problem is solved. “Serious efforts must be made to empty the detention camps in Libya, evaluating and implementing all possible solutions”, he said. “We must denounce and prosecute traffickers who exploit and abuse migrants”, the Pope continued. “Economic interests must be put aside in order to focus on the person, each person, whose life and dignity are precious in the eyes of God.” The Pope concluded by saying, “we must help and save, because we are all responsible for the life of our neighbour, and the Lord will ask us to account for this at the moment of judgment.”

Following the Pope’s discourse the cross was carried by two of the refugees where it was blessed and hung on a wall in of memory all migrants and refugees who are forced to make perilous journeys in search of a better life.

Topics

migrants and refugees

19 December 2019, 14:46

<교황님 말씀; 무력으로 이주민들을 그들이 살던 땅과 집에서

강제로 내쫓아 떠나게 하는 것은 우리 모두의 불의이며,

또한 이주민 그들이 이주도중에 바다에에서 항해 중 익사하는 것을 방관하고,

방치하는 것도 우리 모두의 불의가 아닌가?!.>

2019.12.19. 바티칸의 목소리 !!! >

English for Africa programme (21/12/2019 01:30)

Programs Podcast

06:45

Vatican & World news

Pope urges world not to be indifferent to humanity’s woes

교황님 말씀; 온 세계가 인류의 비참한 처지에 무관심하게 억압하지 말아야 한다.

At the end of a meeting with UN Secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, in the Vatican, Pope Francis delivered a video message, stressing the urgent need to address the emergencies facing the world. After the Pope, Guterres also delivered a video message.

By Robin Gomes

Pope Francis is calling on the world not to close its eyes or look the other way in the face of the many woes, pain and wounds afflicting mankind but to unite and work to build a peaceful world, saying “what really counts in life is love”.

The Pope issued the video message at the end of his meeting with the UN Secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, in the Vatican.

“It is good that this meeting of ours takes place in the days leading up to Christmas,” the Pope says in the presence of Guterres. “These are days when our eyes are turned to heaven to entrust to God the people and situations we hold most dear. In this gaze we recognize ourselves as children of one Father, brothers and sisters,” he says speaking in his native Spanish.

Woes plaguing humanity

인간성을 오염시키는 비극

“We cannot and we must not look the other way in the face of injustice, inequality, the scandal of hunger in the world, of poverty, of children who die because they lack water, food and necessary healthcare,” the Pope says.

He recalls men and women who are forced to leave their countries because of conflicts, violence, poverty or climate change and who often meet a sad fate. He urges the world to unite in the fight against every kind of abuse of children and overcome indifference in the face of attacks against human dignity and human life, including the unborn.

Misuse of religion - 종교와 신앙을 악용하지 말아야!

“We cannot, we must not look the other way when believers of various faiths are persecuted in different parts of the world,” he says. “The use of religion to incite hatred, violence, oppression, extremism and blind fanaticism, as well as to force people into exile and marginalization,” he says, “cries out for vengeance before God.”

Nuclear weapons - 핵무기.

Pope Francis also denounces the arms race and nuclear rearmament saying, they “also cry out for vengeance before God”. “The use as well as possession of nuclear weapons”, he says, “is also immoral, adding “even the mere danger of an accident represents a grim threat to humanity”.

The Holy Father urges that the world not be indifferent to the many wars that continue to be fought and which kill so many innocent people.

International understanding/ 국제적인 상호 이해.

In order to build a peaceful world, he says, it is indispensable that there be confidence in dialogue between people and between nations, in multilateralism, in the role of international organisations and in diplomacy as a tool to strengthen understanding and agreement.

Caring for our Common Home / 우리 인간들의 공동 가옥 관리

In his video message, Pope Francis also addresses the care of the created world, urging all to “take care of our land which, generation after generation, has been entrusted to our custody by God so that we may cultivate it and hand it over to our children”. He stressed the urgency and need for commitment “to reduce polluting emissions and to an integral ecology saying, “let us do something before it is too late!”

In his video message, the Holy Father also calls on the international community to listen to the young people who “help us to become aware of what is happening in the world today and ask us to be peacemakers and builders, together and not alone, of a more human and just civilization”.

Pope Francis concluded his video message in Christmas note, saying “In all its genuine simplicity, Christmas reminds us that what really counts in life is love".

After the Pope, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres also delivered a video message, highlighting the “clear moral voice” of the Pope on issues that are at the very heart of the United Nations mandate.

Please find below the full text of the Secretary-General’s comments:

국제연합 사무총장이 교황님께 올린 말씀 전문

Your Holiness, thank you for your very warm welcome.

You are a messenger for hope and humanity – for reducing human suffering and promoting human dignity. Your clear moral voice shines through – whether you are speaking out on the plight of the most vulnerable, including refugees and migrants … confronting poverty and inequalities … appealing for disarmament… building bridges between communities … and, of course, highlighting the climate emergency through your historic encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’, and so many other vital efforts.

These messages coincide with the core values of the United Nations Charter – namely to reaffirm the dignity and worth of the human person. To promote love of people and care for our planet. To uphold our common humanity and protect our common home. Our world needs that more than ever.

Coming to Rome from the COP25 in Madrid, I call on all countries around the globe to commit to carbon neutrality by 2050, in line with what the scientific community tells us is necessary to rescue the planet.

Your Holiness, I am grateful for your exceptional global engagement and strong support for the work of the United Nations, including your memorable visit to UN headquarters in 2015, as the world reached agreement on the Sustainable Development Goals, our blueprint for a fair globalization.

Our meeting is especially meaningful during this Christmas season. This is a time of peace and goodwill and I am sad to witness Christian communities – including some of the world’s oldest - unable to celebrate Christmas in safety.

Tragically we see jews being murdered in synagogues, their gravestones defaced with swastikas; Muslims gunned down in mosques, their religious sites vandalized; Christians killed at prayers, their churches torched. We need to do more to promote mutual understanding and tackle rising hatred.

Your Holiness, I want to express my deep appreciation for your extraordinary service in promoting interfaith relations – including your landmark declaration with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar on “human fraternity for world peace and living together”.

This declaration is extremely important when we see such dramatic attacks on religious freedom and the lives of believers. The United Nations has launched a Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites and a strategy to combat hate speech. In these turbulent and trying times, we must stand together for peace and harmony.

That is the spirit of this season. And it is reflected in your vision, guidance and example. My deepest thanks to you, your Holiness, and my best wishes, to all those celebrating, for a Christmas in peace and a blessed new year.