Pope Francis: “The Mediterranean is the largest cemetery in Europe”

Pope francesco he does not mince words and invites everyone to choose silence or words, never the chatter which brings “aggression, wars and divisions” among the people. The direct words of the Pope are live on TV, for the first time in Italy. Pope Francis is a guest of Fabio Fazio to What’s the weather like and speaks first of all of migrants.

«We have to think intelligently about migration policy: a continental policy. The fact that the Mediterranean is today the largest cemetery in Europe it must make us think. I believe that this is pure realism »says the Pontiff. «The migrant must be welcomed, accompanied, promoted and integrated. He must also be integrated, it is very important ». The request, which is a warning, is to a migration policy that must be European. “Each country should indicate quotas: balance is needed, Italy and Spain are penalized today. What is done with migrants is criminal: the EU comes to an agreement, in communion ».

The Pope attacks what he calls the culture of indifference. «There is a problem of categorization, of first and second place and wars, I’m sorry to say, are in first place right now. Children, migrants, the poor, those who have nothing to eat do not count, they are in the lower categories, they are not in the first place ». What happens to migrants is criminal for the Holy Father. The Pope uses the word lager.

In the face of tragedies, it is not enough to see, you have to feel and touch. «In the face of suffering we often see and pass over, we forget. Seeing is not enough, you have to feel, touch. When there is someone who comes to confession, I often ask: when you give alms, do you touch the hand of the person you give it to? Do you look him in the eye? ‘ The only time you look down on another is when you help him get up.

Another theme that has always been central to Pope Francis is that of the environment. «We think we are omnipotent in front of the Earth. We must resume the relationship with the land of the aboriginal peoples ».

There is a question that Bergoglio cannot answer: it is “Why do children suffer?” The only way the Pope finds is to suffer with them. There is an evil that must be fought and is within the Church: spiritual worldliness. “Clericalism generates rigidity, and under every rigidity there is putrefaction. Spiritual worldliness generates clericalism which leads to rigid, ideological positions, where ideology takes the place of the Gospel. Clericalism is a perversion of the Church ».

There are also light moments. The Pope said he went to bless the friends shop when he was seen leaving a record shop in Rome. It just so happened that there was a reporter there by chance. There music however he is passionate about it and he also danced as a young man. “A Porteño who has not danced the tango is not a Porteño”.

As a child he wanted to do the Butcher because he had seen him with a lot of money at the market. As a boy he was interested in chemistry and was preparing to enter medicine. Fabio Fazio then tells him that he has become a doctor of souls.

“Do I have any friends? Yes sure. I have few friends, but true ones. I love being with them. I need friends. This is why I did not go to live in the pontifical palace. The popes who preceded me were saints, I am not a saint, I would not have made it. Here I talk to someone, I make friends ».