2023-11-25 13:28:55
On the sidelines of a conference on Pope John Paul I at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin answered questions from journalists on current events. Among other things, he returned on Friday, November 24, to violence against women, the role of the Holy See for international solutions to the climate crisis, war again, and the Pope’s “equidistance” which is nothing other than proximity to each person’s pain.
Salvatore Cernuzio – Vatican City
During this third consecutive day, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, spoke with journalists discussing current issues, while providing clarifications and food for thought.
Education to combat violence against women
At the Pontifical Gregorian University, during the conference on Pope John Paul I organized by the Vatican John Paul I Foundation of which he is president, Cardinal Pietro Parolin answered a question on the tragedy of femicide. A hotly topical theme after the brutal murder of the young Italian Giulia Cecchettin, who will be at the center of the demonstration against violence against women, Saturday November 25, a day dedicated precisely to this theme, at the Circus Maximus in Rome.
The Secretary of State of the Holy See echoed the words of the Pope who, during an audience with Catholic media federations, urged young people to “cultivate healthy relationships.” “We must emphasize education,” he said. “When the Pope speaks of education, he speaks of educating especially new generations to overcome a mentality that can eventually lead to these tragic, truly tragic acts, and to establish a culture of respect.” There is a real need – the cardinal underlined – for a great work of synergy on the part of all educational organizations, especially those which go in the same direction and do not send contradictory messages, in the sense of a strengthening of the values at the basis of civil coexistence and also of the relationship between the sexes.
Where there are people who suffer, the Pope is there
Then questioned on the question of the criticisms formulated on November 23 by the Italian rabbis against the Holy Father and certain of his remarks concerning the conflict in the Middle East, the cardinal returned to this point: “He does not does not act from an equidistance, but from a sharing of the pain of all. “I insist on this point: it is a human, humanitarian point of view, the Pope is present and close to all those who suffer. This does not mean not recognizing that there are diversities, distinctions, but that means that when people suffer, the Pope is there,” he said.
Forgiveness to “break the cycle” of violence
In a context where various forms of violence seem to prevail, Cardinal Pietro Parolin urged “to cultivate a whole series of virtues that allow us to respond peacefully to these provocations.” First, forgiveness: “Without forgiveness, we cannot move forward, only the law of revenge applies. And the cycle never closes. I understand that forgiveness is not easy, we experience it ourselves,” he admitted, “but if one has the courage, if one has the courage to break this cycle , something new will really happen in the world.
Authority is a service
Recalling the words of Alessandro Manzoni cited by Pope John Paul I in his work “Illustrissimi,” the cardinal reiterated that “all authority is a service to others, because otherwise it becomes a despotic exercise of power, so if anyone one is placed above others because he occupies positions of responsibility, he must live this not out of personal interest, not to obtain personal results of various kinds, but by truly putting himself at the service of others. This is what the social doctrine of the Church reaffirms: “Politics is a service to the common good. And this applies to priests, to bishops, and also to the Pope,” said the Secretary of State.
The Pope at Cop28
Finally, Cardinal Parolin answered questions about the Pope’s future trips. He claimed “not to be aware that there are plans to visit” the Gaza Strip; if he received an invitation, “it will be he, the Pope, who will consider, reflect and decide what to do, but I do not believe that it is an initiative that comes from him” . On the other hand, Cardinal Parolin was keen to emphasize that the imminent trip of the Sovereign Pontiff to Dubai for Cop28 will constitute a new contribution to the commitment of the Holy See in favor of a “serious and in-depth” treatment of the climate issue. .
“Since Laudato Si’, the Holy See has made great efforts to raise public awareness of the problem and the solutions to it,” he recalled. “The Holy See does not offer technical solutions, it is not its task, it does not have the means, but it can be a moral conscience on this issue and on many others for the international community and insist that there be attention and solutions sought at the international level.”
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