This is why people are in a race to get close to him and why the number of people attending the events organised to mark the Year of Faith has doubled since the Argentinean Pope came to the Throne of Peter.
The Roman Curia needs reform because the Second Vatican Council says that the whole Church, not just the Curia, is constantly in need of this.
The President of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation, Mgr. Salvatore (Rino) Fisichella, said this in an interview with Vatican Insider, at the annual International Book Fair in Turin (northern Italy).
The interview took place just after a conference on the theme “What is the point of faith?”, organised by the Sant’Anselmo Association, a cultural project of the Italian Bishops’ Conference.
Your Excellency, which aspects of Pope Francis’ first two and a bit months in office would you say are worth highlighting?
“The simplicity with which Pope Francis presents himself to everyone and the enthusiasm and love shown by people who not only have welcomed him with arms wide open but are in a race to hear him speak and to see and touch him. I think this is very important;I should add that in this Year of Faith, the number of people registering for events has taken a positive leap: it has doubled. And that’s all Francis’ doing.”
Is Bergoglio the Pope of the poor and those who are distant from the faith?
“One thing about Francis that must be highlighted is his approachability, the affection with which he approaches the ill, the children, the weak and the defenceless. Francis does not pull back one little bit, he is someone who gives himself completely and I think people are aware of this.”
Is the Roman Curia in need of an image makeover? Is it in need of reform to make it a more efficient and transparent body?
“According to the Second Vatican Council, the Church always needs to be reformed, so of course the Curia, being an age-old institution needs to be reformed. And being part of it, we are the first to say it needs to be reformed. But this is just secondary: it is the Church that is in need of constant reform and conversion and needs to keep focusing on what is essential, otherwise it will never carry out its new evangelization mission efficiently.”
What do you think of the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, living in such close proximity to the Pope?
“Benedict XVI has retired in silence to a very private part of the Vatican. It’s his style and typical of his personality. It’s partly thanks to his discreet way of doing things that no misunderstandings arise over the fact that there is only one Pope. And this I cannot stress enough: in the Vatican City there is only one Pope.”