杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni from Andrea Tornielli's inflight transcript 

During the flight bringing 杏MAP导航 Francis back to Rome after a three-day apostolic visit to the West Balkan nations of Bulgaria and North Macedonia, 杏MAP导航 Francis spent some time chatting to reporters and answering their questions.

Impressions of Bulgaria and North Macedonia

Asked about his strongest impressions regarding the two nations he has just visited, 杏MAP导航 Francis said 鈥淭hey are two totally different countries鈥�.

Bulgaria, he explained, is a nation with century-old traditions; while Macedonia has century-old traditions but is a young country and has a 鈥測oung people鈥�.

Commenting on the fact that North Macedonia has recently managed to establish itself as a nation, he said it is symbol of how Christianity entered into the West through the Apostle Paul who wanted to go to Asia, but was called to Macedonia.

鈥淭he people of Macedonia never miss the opportunity to remind us that Christianity entered through their door鈥� he said.

Bulgaria, he said, suffered much war and violence, and he referred to the 200,000 Russian soldiers who died in 1877 to regain independence from the Ottoman Empire.

鈥淪o many struggles for independence, so much blood, so much mysticism in order to consolidate an identity鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said noting that in both countries Orthodox Christian communities, Catholics and Muslims live together.

He praised the fact that he saw good relations between the different faiths in both nations and expressed admiration for a profession of 鈥渞espect鈥� for diversity and for human rights rather than of 鈥渢olerance鈥�.

Where does the 杏MAP导航 get his energy?

One journalist asked him where he finds the energy and strength needed to travel and work as he does.

鈥淔irst of all I would like to say I do not resort to witchcraft!鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said.

He described it as 鈥渁 gift from the Lord鈥� and revealed that when he goes places he 鈥渇orgets himself鈥� and he is 鈥渏ust there鈥�.

He confessed that afterwards he feels tired: 鈥淚 don't tire of travelling. Then I get tired, afterwards. I think the Lord gives me strength. I ask the Lord to be faithful, to serve him, may these journeys not be tourism. And then... I don't work that hard!鈥�

Relations within the Orthodox Church

Asked about perceived strife within the Orthodox Church, 杏MAP导航 Francis underscored the fact that, in general, relations are good and there is good will.

He described the Orthodox Patriarchs as men of God. Recalling the words of the president of North Macedonia about the schism of the East he said: 鈥淣ow is the 杏MAP导航 coming to sew up the schism? I don't know. We are brothers, we cannot worship the Holy Trinity without joining our hands as brothers鈥�.

Cardinal Stepinac鈥檚 canonization process

Regarding the canonization of Cardinal Stepinac, the 杏MAP导航 described him as a virtuous man: 鈥渢hat is why the Church declared him blessed鈥�. But, he noted, at a certain point in the process there were points that were unclear and said that before signing the authorization for the canonization process, he prayed, reflected and asked for the advice and help of the Serbian Patriarch Irenaeus.

He said they established a historical commission as 鈥渂oth he and I are interested in not making mistakes; we are interested in the truth鈥�.

The 杏MAP导航 said some issues are under scrutiny in order for truth to be clear: 鈥淚 am not afraid of the truth. I am only afraid of God鈥檚 judgment鈥�.

Women鈥檚 Diaconate

Noting that in Bulgaria the 杏MAP导航 visited an Orthodox community that has cultivated a tradition of ordaining women deacons to proclaim the Gospel, and that in a few days he will be meeting the International Union of Superiors General, a journalist asked 杏MAP导航 Francis what he has learnt from the Study Commission's report on the Women鈥檚 Diaconate, and about his thoughts on the issue.

杏MAP导航 Francis created the Study Commission on the Women's Diaconate in 2016.

Answering the reporter鈥檚 question, the 杏MAP导航 said the Commission worked for almost two years until it came to a halt due to differences in vision.

He said that regarding women鈥檚 diaconate 鈥渢here is a way of conceiving it with a different vision to that of the male diaconate鈥�.

Although there are historical documents regarding the ministry of women deacons, the 杏MAP导航 said 鈥渢here is no certainty that their ordination was in the same form and purpose as male ordination鈥�.

He said the commission did a good job and their conclusions can serve to move forward in the quest for a definitive 鈥測es or no鈥� concluding that theologians are at a point in which they are studying the various theses.

Moving memories

After the questions, 杏MAP导航 Francis said he wanted to recall how touched he was to experience the gentleness and meekness with which the nuns at Mother Teresa鈥檚 memorial cared for the poor: 鈥渢hey cared for the poor without paternalism, as if they were children (鈥�) with the capacity to reach out and caress the poor鈥�.

He noted that in today鈥檚 world we are so used to exchanging insults: 鈥減oliticians insult each other, neighbors insult each other, even within the family we insult each other鈥�.

鈥淚 dare not say that there is a 鈥榗ulture of insult鈥欌�� he said, but it's a weapon, just as shouting at others, slander and defamation are weapons.

The gentleness of the nuns, the 杏MAP导航 said, made me 鈥渇eel鈥� the mother Church, 鈥渁nd I thank Macedonia for this treasure鈥�.

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded recalling the moving experience of celebrating First Communion while in Bulgaria: 鈥淚 was moved because my memory took me back to my own First Communion on 8 October 1944 (鈥�) The Church looks after children, they are on the margins because they are still small, but they are a promise, they must grow. I 鈥榝elt鈥� at that moment that those 245 children are the future of the Church and of Bulgaria鈥�.