Monday, September 30, 2013
Six and a half months into the new Rule of Francis, among other patterns to emerge is that, when the Pope gets excited, he likes to "load the cannon."
One earlier example of this came on 5 July, when – within a matter of hours – Papa Bergoglio released his first encyclical (a work "of four hands" with his predecessor), announced the canonizations of John XXIII and John Paul II and made his first joint public appearance with B16. And now, on the day that he formally set next 27 April for the first sainting of two Popes at once – and with the all-important summit of what's now officially in business as the "Council of Cardinals" opening in the morning – an already full news-cycle will reportedly soon see an added dose of chaos: namely, another interview.
The Pope's second on-the-record conversation to emerge in 11 days, a notice late tonight on the website of Italy's largest daily, La Repubblica, announced the imminent publication of an interview with Francis conducted by the paper's co-founder, the atheist Eugenio Scalfari, long a significant figure of the Italian Left. It's not the first interaction between the two; a July letter Scalfari sent to Francis was replied to by the pontiff in an extensive op-ed for the paper earlier this month.
The news was likewise relayed in a midnight tweet from the daily's editor, Ezio Mauro.
One earlier example of this came on 5 July, when – within a matter of hours – Papa Bergoglio released his first encyclical (a work "of four hands" with his predecessor), announced the canonizations of John XXIII and John Paul II and made his first joint public appearance with B16. And now, on the day that he formally set next 27 April for the first sainting of two Popes at once – and with the all-important summit of what's now officially in business as the "Council of Cardinals" opening in the morning – an already full news-cycle will reportedly soon see an added dose of chaos: namely, another interview.
The Pope's second on-the-record conversation to emerge in 11 days, a notice late tonight on the website of Italy's largest daily, La Repubblica, announced the imminent publication of an interview with Francis conducted by the paper's co-founder, the atheist Eugenio Scalfari, long a significant figure of the Italian Left. It's not the first interaction between the two; a July letter Scalfari sent to Francis was replied to by the pontiff in an extensive op-ed for the paper earlier this month.
The news was likewise relayed in a midnight tweet from the daily's editor, Ezio Mauro.
The interview is out.
ReplyDeleteYour Holiness, is there is a single vision of the Good? And who decides what it is?
"Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is Good."
Your Holiness, you wrote that in your letter to me. The conscience is autonomous, you said, and everyone must obey his conscience. I think that's one of the most courageous steps taken by a Pope.
"And I repeat it here. Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place."
I look forward to Al's thoughts and assessment of this.
God bless!