ABP Pierre, new Nuncio to USA: ‘Pope’s message is the Gospel’
(Vatican Radio) Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the newly-appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America, says the message of Pope Francis for the American people is the message of the Gospel.
Archbishop Christophe Pierre was appointed to the post by the Holy Father on 12 April, having previously served as the Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti, Uganda, and most recently Mexico for nine years.
In an interview with Christopher Wells, the Apostolic Nuncio noted the continuance of his ministry through the influence of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas.
Listen to the full interview:
Archbishop Pierre said the apparition of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego was not an apparition to one person, but to an entire people. “Pope Francis told us at the beginning of his last trip that this is the foundation of Mexico. He wanted to spend some time with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, not just to look at her, but to be looked at by her, and to look at the people with the eyes of Mary.”
Role of Apostolic Nuncio
Turning to his role as Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Pierre said “I’ve been serving the Pope for nearly 40 years in many Nunciatures. We are essentially representatives of the Pope… The difficulty or challenge of the Nuncio is to listen, to be careful about what is going on, to understand, to exercise dialogue, to discover the beauty, the richness of the culture, and to help the inculturation of the Gospel in a particular culture. And to help the Pope understand and those who work with him to understand what is going on, and maybe also to help the local Church to relate to the Pope, not as something that is contrary to the life of the Church but [as something] enriching.”
Pope’s message is Gospel
When asked if the Pope has a particular message for the American people, Archbishop Pierre said, “We know the message of the Pope. The message of the Pope is contained in his main documents, in his many interventions. I would say the message [of the Pope] is the Gospel. Also, the way the Pope wants us to be close to the people, especially those who suffer.”