Pope Francis interviewed by Reuters takes up the bishops' words in criticizing Trump's policies. On immigration in Italy: no to rejections, but the crisis must be tackled with the whole of Europe. And says he has no plans to resign.
Separating children from parents as is the case with migrants on the Mexican border is "immoral". Pope Francis says it in an interview with the Vatican journalist Phil Pullella of the Reuters agency, saying he is against the decision taken by the Trump administration to separate the families of those seeking to enter the United States. In the summary published by the agency, the Pope showed optimism on the progress of the negotiations that could lead to an agreement on the nomination of bishops in China. Francis also spoke of the scandal of child abuse in Chile and said he may accept more bishops’ resignations.
Under President Donald Trump's zero-tolerance immigration policy, the US authorities plan to criminally prosecute all immigrants caught crossing the Mexican border illegally: holding adults in jail while their children are sent to government shelters. Bergoglio declared to Reuters that he shared the statements of the US bishops who called the separation of children from their parents "contrary to our values" and "immoral". “I am on the side of the bishops’ conference” the Pope said, adding that the situation “It’s not easy, but populism is not the solution”.
The populists, for the Pontiff, "are creating a psychosis" on the issue of immigration, even as aging societies like Europe are faced with “a great demographic winter” and thus need more immigrants. Without immigration, he added, Europe “will become empty.”
The Pope then spoke about the Aquarius, the ship run by two humanitarian associations forced to disembark in Spain 629 migrants it had rescued from the sea because the Italian government refused access to ports. Bergoglio, answering a question on the decisions taken by the Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini, said: “I believe that you cannot reject people who arrive. You have to receive them, help them, look after them, accompany them and then see where to put them, but throughout all of Europe”.
In the interview, Francis also spoke of the internal conservative opposition, explaining that he prays for those who say "nasty things" about him. The Pope said that the future of the Catholic Church is "on the streets" and assured that he wants to appoint more women to head the offices of the Holy See, because women are more capable of resolving conflicts, although this should not lead to "masculinism in a skirt". But at the same time, as he had already done several times in the last five years, Francis excluded the possibility of the female priesthood: "John Paul II was clear and closed the door and I do not come back to this. It was something serious".
Finally, regarding his health, Bergoglio said to be well despite the pain in his legs related to a back condition. He reiterated that perhaps sooner or later he may resign for health reasons as his predecessor Benedict XVI did in 2013, but added: “Right now, I am not even thinking about it.”
