Pope
concludes Africa trip with in-flight press briefing
(Vatican
Radio) During the in-flight press briefing en-route to Rome at the end of his
three-nation visit to Africa, Pope Francis touched on a wide range of topics,
from Vatileaks, to condoms, to a forthcoming visit to Mexico.
Some
of the questions centered around the Nov. 25-30 journey, during which the Pope
visited Kenya, Uganda, and the Central African Republic (CAR), marking his
first trip to the continent.
During
the press conference, Pope Francis was asked about those suffering exclusion
from basic human rights, as he witnessed during some of his encounters in
Africa. The Holy Father gave the example visiting Bangui’s pediatric hospital
which lacked basic equipment, where he saw severely malnourished children, most
of whom were dying of malaria.
The
Pope condemned economic systems which make a “god of money,” referring to this
as the “idolatry of money”. He added that “if mankind does not change, we
will continue to have more miseries, tragedies, wars, children who die of
hunger, and injustice.”
Pope
Francis also decried the various forms of exploitation to which much of Africa
has been subject. He described Africa as a “martyr of exploitation.”
Asked
about his impressions of his first visit to Africa, Pope Francis said he was
struck by the crowds, the joy, and the “very great sense of welcome” he
encountered.
The
Holy Father remarked on the unique identity of each of the countries he
visited: Kenya, which is more modern and developed; Uganda, with its legacy of
martyrs; and the CAR, with the people’s “desire for peace, reconciliation, and
forgiveness.”
Pope
Francs was asked about the global threat posed by fundamentalism, and whether
religious leaders should intervene at a political level. Rather than
intervening politically, the Holy Father said religious leaders should confront
the threat of fundamentalism by promoting values, especially those of
fraternity and coexistence. He also stressed that fundamentalism can be found
in all religions, even Catholicism.
Turning
to another topic, Pope Francis spoke with journalists about the role of the
free press in dealing with matters of corruption. He said the media maintains
professional integrity, so long as it avoids misinformation, calumny, and
defamation.
Also
addressed at the press conference was the so-called Vatileaks scandal and the
ongoing trial of three Vatican employees and the two journalists charged
with publishing stolen information. Pope Francis acknowledged that “an error
was made” in the appointment of the Vatican employees. The Pope said he was not
surprised by the information revealed, since he was already aware of the
corruption within the Vatican. Pope Francis added that it was not him, but his
predecessors who began the process of rooting out corruption in the Vatican.
One
journalist asked if the Church would change its teaching on the use of condoms
as a preventive method against HIV, which continues to be a widespread epidemic
in Africa. Pope Francis responded that the answer must be seen first in a
broader context, that of healing the more “serious wound” brought about by
injustice; social and environmental injustices, people dying of hunger and
thirst, war and the trafficking of arms.
Pope
Francis also spoke of the escalating international conflicts, as seen for
instance with the Russian airplane recently shot down by Turkey. He described
war as a “business of weapons,” which destroys humanity. War does not come from
God, who is a God of peace, the Pope said.
Asked
where his next apostolic journey would take him, Pope Francis said he would
likely visit Mexico, although the specifics of the trip have not been released.
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