Interview With Cardinal Pell About Pope Francis

[Lil Red]

From La Stampa (I've only excerpted small portions of the interview)

 

 

Francis has been pope for 100 days. What are the two or three things that stand out in your mind from this period?

 

I think his recent encounter with the Harley Davidson riders was emblematic. Thousands of them came on these enormous motorbikes on Sunday morning to get a blessing from Francis. By all accounts, the Pope was perfectly at home with them, and blessed them. They gave him two big motorbikes which he’s going to sell off and give the proceeds to the poor.

 

I think that’s emblematic that we’ve got a different type of a pope.  He’s a pope who very much understands the importance of symbols, and he’s inclined to talk through stories and parables.

 

He took the name of Francis. St Francis of Assisi was distinguished for many things, including one saying that’s allegedly come from him where he tells his brothers: “Preach (the Gospel) by deeds and, if necessary use words”.  Now I think the Holy Father very much understands that, and so his style of teaching is quite different from that of Pope Benedict.  Somebody said Benedict was a great teacher for intellectuals, bishops and priests, but Francis is much more immediate and direct, and for ordinary people. Then again, in another symbolic act, he rode in the bus with the other bishops after giving his first blessing to the people after his election. And, of course, he has decided to live in Santa Marta.

 

 

As you know he’s staying in Rome for the holidays, and not going to Castel Gandolfo.

 

Pope Benedict is going to Castel Gandolfo, so that might be one of the reasons why Francis has decided not to go there.Castel Gandolfo is a beautiful place and I’d very much like to see the Pope taking his holidays out there, but the Holy Father is an old style Jesuit, he’s taken a vow of poverty and he takes it seriously.  Most of the rest of us haven’t taken a vow of poverty but he has, and I think it is immensely to his credit that he lives it.

 

 

In other words, there’s a lack of proper managerial organization in the Curia?

Yes, but that’s only one small example of the kind of thing I mean.  Discipline and morale have to be improved in the Curia too. Now the leaks have stopped, and thank God for that!  In some way or other the contents of the Report of the three cardinals has to be dealt with; it doesn’t have to be done with a blare of trumpets, but if there are significant things there then they have to be addressed.   I very much anticipate the Holy Father will do that. Pope Francis is moving in on the Bank, the IOR (the Institute for the Works of Religion); I think some very significant progress has been made there, but probably much more needs to be done. I think the Vatican finances, and the allegations of misunderstandings and so on with Archbishop Vigano, have to be addressed and put in order.  To be specific, annual external audits should be done here, as happens in all parts of the English-speaking world.  Great strides have been made in the world of communications within the Vatican, but I still think there is enormous overlap, as well as lack of coordination, and possibly too much expenditure in some particular agencies.   These are just some of the practical areas that we need to address.