(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is in Mexico on his 12th Apostolic Journey, after meeting with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Havana, Cuba to sign a joint declaration. The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, spoke with Veronica Scarisbrick about the Holy Father’s meeting with the Patriarch and his arrival in Mexico.
Listen to their conversation:
Noting that the Pope and the Patriarch’s encounter was private, Fr. Lombardi said the climate of the discussion was “very friendly, but ‘friendly’ is too little an expression for he says the encounter [began] with the Patriarch saying ‘my brother’ and ended with ‘finally, finally we meet, you are my brother’. This means he was very happy and the Patriarch was also happy.”
He notes this will not be a unique episode but is merely the beginning of a closer relationship. “The Pope has said that they spoke about some concrete initiatives, but he has not explained what. The talk was not theoretically but was concrete.”
“The dynamic element is the personal encounter between the Pope and the Patriarch.”
Mexican welcome
Turning to the arrival of Pope Francis in Mexico , Fr. Lombardi said “here in Mexico City we have these incredible crowds, over a million people. There was a very good preparation for the little arrival ceremony, with people, songs, and dances.
As per his usual, the Holy Father immediately broke protocol upon arrival, going to meet the people. “In this sense I think we have already experienced how the great Mexican people is happy to have the Pope with them and how the Pope desires to meet personally and directly many, many people. This is obviously a place where the Pope speaks his [native] language; this is an advantage. I think it will be a marvellous encounter with this land where the people has always demonstrated an enormous love for the popes.”
Concluding the interview, Fr. Lombardi said, “the vitality of the youth of this people will give a sense of hope, of dynamism, and future, and also the encounter with the Virgin of Guadalupe will give a sense of tenderness and spirituality to these days.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is in Mexico on his 12th Apostolic Journey. He was welcomed there to an atmosphere of ‘fiesta’ on Friday night. On Saturday his schedule includes an encounter with civil society and the diplomatic corps, the bishops of Mexico, and Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Vatican Radio’s Veronica Scarisbrick is in Mexico with Pope Francis and sent this report on Saturday’s activities.
Listen to the report:
While Pope Francis comes to Mexico to walk with the people he has also begged a chance to pray on his own. You’ll have guessed where. It’s before the image of ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe’ which he says inspires security and tenderness. “She is our mother”, he insists, “who cares, protects and leads a people”.
His request has been granted and on Saturday on the first full day of his Apostolic journey he’ll be shown into a sort of secret room, the ‘camarin’ as they call it, located directly behind the altar of the Basilica of the Shrine which houses this image.
To get to it a sort of mini bank vault has to be unlocked. And for this fleeting occasion the image will be turned towards the Pope rather than towards the congregation gathered there for Holy Mass.
You are probably familiar with this 16th century image of Our Lady framed by a pink almond shaped oval with the rays of the sun all around, wearing a green blue cloak decorated with stars and standing on a crescent moon. The moon being symbolic of Mexico as the word means ‘navel of the moon’. Known as the ‘Morenita’ she appeared as a ‘mestizo’, of mixed race, so symbolic of the unity of Mexican people.
Pope Francis makes requests but also courteously accepts invitations. Naturally from the nation’s President Enrique Pena Nieto at the impressive ‘Palacio Nacional’, seat of the federal executive in Mexico.
Located at the heart of Mexico City the building with its stylish colonial red façade overlooks the elegant “Plaza de la Constituciòn” known as ‘El Zòcalo’. Part of the stone used for it was stolen from the original Palace of the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, also in the early 16th century.
It is there that on Saturday morning Pope Francis delivers his first speech to the Mexican nation in the presence of civil authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps.
The second speech is to the Bishops fittingly in the City’s Metropolitan Cathedral of the ‘Assumption’ with its ‘Dona Maria’ bell which pealed for two hours to welcome the Pope to town on Saturday evening. An ornate colonial building which like all of the rest of this capital city sinks into the spongey soil of what was once an azure lake. One which houses a massive gold altar. I mean really massive. That’s why perhaps the ‘guardia federal’ keeps guard inside the precints of the Cathedral.
In Mexico City, I’m Veronica Scarisbrick.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis arrived in Mexico Friday evening after an historic meeting with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuba . This is his 12th Apostolic Journey and is the third Pope to visit the country. Vatican Radio’s Veronica Scarisbrick is with the Pope in Mexico. She sends us this report on his arrival Friday evening.
Listen to the report:
The Pope’s arrival in Mexico City was supposed to be a straightforward affair without particular protocol. In reality it had more the feeling of a ‘fiesta’ verging on a television show.
There was a stadium crowd, mariachi, folk dancers in colourful traditional dresses and singers of all ages including children. But then as we know Mexicans love fiestas.
And perhaps Pope Francis does too. He certainly looked relaxed and happy as he always does when he’s back among his people.
On a more official note the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto was there to greet him together with his wife, the ‘primera dama’.
And there were children who ran all together into his arms to hug him while the crowds yelled “ Quedan que el papa nos benedica’, requesting he bless them.
Eventually he did bless them and then waved in a friendly manner and on a more profane note he donned a black and gold Mexican mariachi hat for a moment.
And then he climbed into his pope mobile and covered the nineteen kilometres into town amid a tunnel of cheering crowds lighting up the night with their smart phones or torches.
Definitely a homecoming…
With Pope Francis in Mexico City, I’m Veronica Scarisbrick
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) On board the papal plane following the meeting with Patriarch Kirill , Pope Francis told journalists that “it was a conversation between brothers.”
Speaking en route to Mexico the Pope said that he and the Patriarch spoke about their respective Churches, the situation in the world, wars, orthodoxy and also the next pan-orthodox Synod. He added that he really felt, “an inner joy that came from the Lord”.
The Pope reaffirmed the freedom that was felt during the meeting which included the presence of Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Metropolitan Hilarion and two interpreters.
Pope Francis also said that “possible activities in common” has been talked about, adding that “unity is a walk together.”
Commenting on the joint declaration signed after the encounter, the Holy Father stressed “it was a pastoral and not a sociological declaration.” The Pope said it was “pastoral” in the sense that it was “two bishops meeting about pastoral concerns.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis and the Russian Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill on Friday concluded a historic encounter in the Cuban capital with an urgent appeal for an end to conflict and the persecution of Christians across the Middle East.
The appeal came in a Joint Declaration which the two leaders signed at the end of a two hour private conversation at Havana airport, signaling the start of a new era of relations between Catholics and the Russian Orthodox Church.
The 30 paragraph long declaration put down in words the heartfelt desire of both the Pope and the Patriarch to put an end to centuries of conflict and disputes between Moscow and Rome.
Speaking after the closed door encounter, with just their translators and closest advisers present, Pope Francis said the two leaders had talked together as bishops and “as brothers” who share the same baptism.
Unity, the Pope stressed, is achieved by walking together, adding that he and the Patriarch had discussed a number of initiatives that they feel it is possible to achieve, despite the continuing obstacles that have divided the East and Western churches since their schism of 1054.
In their Joint Declaration, the two men say they hope their first encounter in Cuba, crossroads between East and West, between North and South, can contribute in a concrete way to the reestablishment of unity between Christians.
The document speaks at length about the plight of Christians and other people of faith who are persecuted in countries across the Middle East and North Africa, witnessing the destruction of their churches and the extermination of families, villages and entire cities. In particular the statement speaks of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq, urging the international community to work together “to put an end to violence and terrorism” and to prevent the expulsion of Christians from the region.
The Pope and the Patriarch stress the vital importance of interfaith dialogue and they appeal to all those involved in the fight against terrorism “to act in a responsible and prudent manner”.
Also high on the list of shared Catholic and Orthodox concerns is the question of religious freedom, not just in former communist countries where atheism dominated for decades but also throughout the Europe and beyond where secularism, the statement warns, poses “a serious threat to religious liberty”. The Joint Document focuses on the plight of the poor and migrants who are knocking on the door of rich countries, where unbridled consumerism is threatening the natural resources of our planet.
The Pope and the Patriarch reiterate their belief in the family and marriage, as an act of love freely chosen between a man and a woman, as the foundation of society. They stress the inalienable right to life of children in the womb, as well as the elderly and the sick, and they call on young Christians to be unafraid to live out these Gospel values in their lives.
Finally the two leaders speak about the conflict in Ukraine which has left so many dead and injured, provoking a serious humanitarian and economic crisis. They say they hope their encounter can contribute to ending the tensions between Greek Catholics and Orthodox Christians and they invite members of all Churches to work together to restore peace to the war-torn country.
(from Vatican Radio)…