杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

Mexican journalist and writer, Valentina Alazraki, has been the Vatican correspondent for Televisa since 1974. In an exclusive interview, published on Tuesday, she asks 杏MAP导航 Francis questions ranging from abortion to migration.

Building bridges not walls

One of the first questions regards the border wall with Mexico. 杏MAP导航 Francis responds by repeating what he has always said, namely that 鈥渨hoever builds walls ends up a prisoner of the walls he builds... Instead, those who build bridges make friends, shake hands, even if they stay on the other side... But there is dialogue鈥�, he says.

Young people

Turning to the subject of young people, the 杏MAP导航 warns of how youth risk 鈥渓osing their roots鈥�. He confirms his advice 鈥渇or young people to talk to old people, and the old to talk to the young, because... a tree cannot grow if we cut off its roots鈥�. The 杏MAP导航 encourages youth to 鈥渄ialogue with the roots, receive culture from the roots. Then you grow, you bloom and you bear fruit鈥�.

Violence against women

The 杏MAP导航 also addresses the issue of violence against women. Without attempting to give what he calls 鈥渁 sociological explanation鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 does say that 鈥渨omen are still in second place鈥� and, often, being in second place can mean 鈥渢o be the object of slavery鈥�. Here he gives the example of prostituted women and speaks of his own visit recently to a rescue shelter in Rome. The 杏MAP导航 goes on to praise the role of women, saying 鈥渢he world without women doesn't work鈥�.

Relationship with the media

In the interview, 杏MAP导航 Francis responds to a question regarding his relationship with the media: 鈥淚 feel comfortable鈥�, he says, 鈥淚 tell you the truth, don't I?鈥� The 杏MAP导航 admits that, sometimes, 鈥渢he questions may be more difficult to answer鈥�, but he thanks journalists for their patience. 鈥淪ome questions have made me think鈥�, he continues, giving the example of the trip to Chile when journalists asked him about alleged cases of sexual abuse in the country. 鈥淚t was largely some of the questions asked with much respect on the return trip鈥�, he said, that helped him realise he had not been adequately informed on the subject. The 杏MAP导航 says that when he returned to Rome, he 鈥渢hought, prayed, asked for advice and decided to send an Apostolic Visitor, who uncovered what I did not know鈥�. And that 鈥渨as a help鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航.

The McCarrick case

The interview also touches on communicating information and the need to clarify matters to both the press and people in the pew. Here 杏MAP导航 Francis confirms how 鈥渨e have to explain鈥�, especially when it is a question of 鈥減resumption of innocence. The McCarrick case was different, says the 杏MAP导航, because 鈥渋t was obvious鈥�. Which is why he was able to 鈥渃ut to the chase before the trial鈥� and remove McCarrick from both the cardinalate and the clerical state.

The Viganò case

The interview continues with a question about the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 silence over unanswered accusations by former Nuncio, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò. 鈥淭hose who made Roman law say that silence is a way of speaking鈥�, he begins. He also says that, in the case of Viganò, he made a choice to trust the honesty of the journalists: 鈥淚 said to them: "Look, you have everything, study for yourselves and draw the conclusions鈥� And the result was good, it was better than if I started to explain, to defend myself鈥�. 杏MAP导航 Francis confirms he knew nothing about McCarrick: 鈥淚 said that several times, that I didn't know, no idea鈥� otherwise I wouldn't have kept quiet鈥�. He again explains his silence, saying 鈥渇irstly the evidence was there for you to judge鈥�, and secondly because of the example of Jesus: 鈥渋n moments of viciousness you can't speak, because it's worse. Everything is going to go against you. The Lord taught us that way and I follow it鈥�.

Migrants and refugees

The 杏MAP导航 also answers questions about migrants and refugees, something he calls a top priority in today鈥檚 current world scenario. 鈥淭he phenomenon of migration is such that  I have taken in my hands the Migrants Section of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development,鈥� he says, because every day we receive news of more deaths in the Mediterranean. 杏MAP导航 Francis comments on the problems that arise from some political leaders enforcing policies that close ports of entry, obliging boatloads of migrants and refugees to return to dangerous waters. He reiterates his belief that not only must we have the heart to 鈥渨elcome鈥�, but that we must follow up with the unique process of 鈥渁ccompaniment, promotion and integration鈥�.

杏MAP导航 Francis acknowledges that not all countries are able to follow up on that process, but he invites leaders to take into consideration how far they are able to do so, and that requires both dialogue and agreement, he says.

The 杏MAP导航 also mentions the reality of humanitarian corridors as a positive response to the global emergency. He gives the example of Sweden, 鈥渂ecause during the dictatorships in the 1970s in Argentina and in Latin America, the so-called 鈥極peration Condor鈥� worked very well鈥�. 杏MAP导航 Francis explains that thanks to that project, Sweden received many Latin American refugees. They were welcomed, given language training, temporary housing and help in seeking employment. Sweden was able to do this, he says, although today it is harder because of the numbers. However, he says, the system has worked, pointing to some of the children of those migrants who today are government ministers.

杏MAP导航 Francis goes on to speak about how when countries make political agreements and set boundaries, migrants  - who are the weakest and most vulnerable 鈥� are the ones who suffer and often end up being trafficked, enslaved, tortured鈥�  

He also speaks of the need for security for those who are repatriated: 鈥淚n order to repatriate we need dialogue with the country of origin; not simply build a wall or close the doors of the house鈥�.

Why does the 杏MAP导航 care so much about migrants today and talk so much about migrants? 鈥淏ecause it is a burning problem鈥�, he says, underscoring how he also continues to talk about life, protecting life, and against abortion about which he reminds the interviewer, he has said 鈥渟ome very hard, very hard things.鈥�

Abortion

On the subject of abortion, the 杏MAP导航 says, he always asks two very clear questions: 鈥淚s it fair to eliminate a human life in order to solve a problem?鈥�. The answer to which is: no. 鈥淪econd question: is it fair to pay a sniper to solve a problem? No. Abortion is not a religious problem in the sense that just because I am Catholic I must not seek an abortion. It is a human problem鈥�, says 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淚t is a problem of eliminating a human life. Period鈥�.

Relationships with governments

In the interview, the 杏MAP导航 refers to how, during his travels, he sometimes finds himself in situations in which political leaders may be champions of policies with which he disagrees. 杏MAP导航 Francis says he always strives for dialogue and for the best possible outcome. In his speeches, he says, he touches generically on what may be the problems of a country, but in private, he takes another step, always making the effort to give encouragement in achieving good. 鈥淚 find something good in everyone鈥�, he says, 鈥渂e it good will, also in non-believers, they always do something good鈥�, he says, reminding the journalist that it is never good or profitable to speak badly of others.

For the first time, the 杏MAP导航 reveals that "Don鈥檛 speak badly of others鈥� is the title of a pamphlet he has had distributed in the Roman Curia in the Vatican. 鈥淕ossip is a universal defect and it applies to everyone鈥�, he says, 鈥渢o rulers, non-rulers, children, young people, men, women, everyone. They say that women are more gossipy: rubbish! Men are also gossips鈥�, says the 杏MAP导航.

Another question in the interview focusses on possible controversies deriving from gestures and words spoken privately to individuals such when as the 杏MAP导航 embraced a transsexual person and his partner whom he received at the Casa Santa Marta, or his words to a divorced Argentinean woman over the telephone in which he reportedly said she could receive Communion.

'Irregular' situations

鈥淪ometimes people, because of the enthusiasm of being received (in audience), say more things than the 杏MAP导航 said, let's take that into account鈥�, explains 杏MAP导航 Francis. Still, he adds, we are all children of God, and no one must be discarded. 鈥淚 can't tell a person that his or her behavior is in line with what the Church wants, (鈥�) but I do have to tell them the truth: 'You are a child of God and God wants you that way, settle it with God'鈥�, he says. God loves all of his children, continues 杏MAP导航 Francis. Specifically regarding the lady from Argentina, the 杏MAP导航 says he does not remember exactly what he said to her: 鈥淚 must have told her: 'look in 鈥楢moris laetitia鈥�, it tells you what you have to do鈥欌��.

Homosexuality

Underscoring his belief that we are all God鈥檚 children, the 杏MAP导航 reiterates his stance regarding the fact that families must love and include all of their children, including those who are homosexual. He vehemently denies ever having said homosexuals are in need of a psychiatrist. But, he adds, that 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 mean I approve homosexual acts, far from it鈥�.  

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis clarifies his famous quote: 鈥淲ho am I to judge?鈥�.  He made the comment during an inflight presser while returning from Rio de Janeiro soon after becoming 杏MAP导航. The comment seemingly raised a lot of expectation within the global homosexual community that allegedly hoped he was going to go further. In the interview with Televisa, 杏MAP导航 Francis notes that Catholic doctrine has not changed. Rather, he warns against the temptation to take words out of context, and as far as doctrine is concerned, he defines himself as a 鈥渃onservative鈥�.