Pope Francis is Building Bridges

Pope Francis is not only talking about theology, but also humanity. He is not only talking about faith, but also deeds. So when he talks about deeds, it is not only words. Faith without deeds is meaningless, that’s why he acts.

His view about immigration, poverty, diversity, globalization, politics, social injustice and about the faith itself, is very insightful. This book is his conversation with a French reporter Dominique Wolton who interviewed the Pope in a very non formal manner at Saint Martha’s House, beside Saint Peter’s Basilica at Vatican City.

In the interview session, the Pope is so natural. He replies seriously, but sometimes punctuated by laughter, too. All topics are discussed, and all are serious topics, including the issues of war that causes people are displaced from their country and flee as refugees. He criticized the countries that close its door to get the refugees in.

“Our theology is a theology of migrants. Because we all are, since the call to Abraham, with all the migrations of the people of Israel, and Jesus Himself was a refugee, and immigrant, and existentially, by virtue of our faith, we are migrants,” the Pope said.

Having said that, the Pope also see that the problem begins in the countries that the refugees come from, because of a lack of work, or because of war.

When talking about diversity and tolerance, the Pope tells his story, “When I was a child, they used to say that all Protestants went to hell – all of them. I was four or five, someday I was walking in the street with my grandmother, and, on the other side of the pavement, there were two women from the Salvation Army, with their hat with the insignia. I asked, “Tell me, Grandma, who are those ladies? Are they nuns?” And she replied, “No, they are Protestants. But they are good people.” So, the first time I heard an ecumenical speech, it came from the elderly person. My grandmother was opening up the doors of diversity to me. What she did was a political act. She taught me to open the door.”

In some occasion, someone asked the Pope, “Where is God in Auschwitz?” Probably the question came from those who don’t believe God, or disappointed to God why God let the most brutal genocide happened. But the Pope replied, “I haven’t seen God in Auschwitz. I have only seen the work of man without God.”

In his very busy activities with an enormous duty and responsibility, addressing views and speeches in front of international forum and country leaders around the globe, in fact, what makes the Pope truly feels happy since he has been Pope actually is meeting people, a simple happiness that he embraces.

He believes the world becomes better if everyone takes a dialogue with respect, dignity and trust as the first thing rather than power to solve every problem. He asks us to build bridge and more bridges. There are borders, yes, but there are must also be bridges. So that a border doesn’t become a wall.

“Building bridges, not walls, because walls fall,” the Pope said.

***

Serpong, 1 May 2021

Titus J.