An Aleteia translation of these three questions from the official Vatican transcript of the pope’s inflight press conference
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VATICAN CITY — What did Pope Francis really say about Medjugorje, President Donald Trump, and the Society of St. Pius X, during his inflight press conference on the return to Rome from Fatima?
As a service to our readers, here below Aleteia provides a translation of these three questions and answers, as they appear in the Vatican’s official transcript of the inflight press conference.
What did Pope Francis really say about Medjugorje?
Mimmo Muolo [“Avvenire” (Italy)]
Good evening, Your Holiness. I am asking you a question on behalf of the Italian group. Yesterday and today, in Fatima, we saw a great witness of popular piety together with you; the same [popular piety] one also finds, for example, at other Marian shrines like Medjugorje. What do you think of those apparitions — if they were apparitions — and of the religious fervor they have aroused, given that you have decided to appoint a bishop delegate for other pastoral aspects?
Pope Francis
Medjugorje. All of the apparitions, or alleged apparitions, belong to the private sphere; they are not part of the ordinary public Magisterium of the Church. Medjugorje: a commission headed by Cardinal Ruini was established. Benedict XVI established it. At the end of the 2013 or the beginning of 2014, I received the results [of the commission] from Cardinal Ruini. It is a commission of good theologians, bishops and cardinals. Good, good, very capable. The Ruini-report is very, very good. Then, there were some doubts in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Congregation judged it appopriate to send all of the documentation to each of the members of the congress of the “feria quarta” [a meeting held each Wednesday in the CDF], even the things that seemed to be against the Ruini-report.
I received the notification: I remember it was a Saturday evening, late evening. It did not seem right to me: it was like auctioning off — I apologize for the word — the Ruini-report, which was very well done. And on Sunday morning, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith received a letter from me asking him to say that, instead of sending [everything] to the “feria quarta,” the opinions should be sent to me, personally.
These opinions were studied, and all of them underline the thoroughness of the Ruini-report. Yes, mainly there are three things to distinguish. Regarding the first apparitions, when [the “visionaries”] were young: the report more or less says that we need to continue to investigate. On the alleged current apparitions, the reports has its doubts. I personally am more “naughty”: I prefer Our Lady as mother, our mother, and not Our Lady as head of the telegraph office who sends a message every day at a certain hour … this is not the mother of Jesus. And these alleged apparitions do not have much value. And I say this as my own personal opinion. But who thinks that Our Lady says: “Come and tomorrow, at this hour, I will give a message to that visionary”; no. [In the Ruini-report] a distinction is made between the two apparitions. And third, the true heart of the Ruini-report: the spiritual aspect, the pastoral aspect, people who go there and convert, people who encounter God, who change their lives … There is no magic wand for this, and one cannot deny this spiritual-pastoral aspect.
Now, in order to look at these things with all of this information, with the responses that the theologians sent to me, this bishop [delegate] was appointed — he is very good because he has experience — to see how the pastoral part is going. And ultimately, something will be said.
What did Pope Francis really say about US President Donald Trump?
Claudio Lavagna [NBC (USA)]
Holy Father, hello. Yesterday you asked the faithful to knock down all walls. And yet, on May 24 you will meet with a Head of State who is threatening to build walls. It is somewhat opposed to your word. But he also, it seems, has opinions and makes decisions different than your own on other matters; for example, on the need to act regarding global warming, or on welcoming migrants. On the eve of this meeting, what is your opinion of the policies President Trump has adopted on these matters up to now? And what do you expect from a meeting with a Head of State who seems to think and act contrary to you?
Pope Francis
But, the first question is — but may I respond to both — I never make a judgment about a person without listening to them. I believe that I shouldn’t do this. Things will come up as we talk: I will say what I think; he will say what he thinks. But I never, I have never wanted to make a judgment without listening to a person. And the second is what I think …
Claudio Lavagna
… what do you think, in particular, about matters like welcoming migrants…
Pope Francis
But you are well aware of this!
Claudio Lavagna
The second is: what do you expect from a meeting with a Head of State whose thinking about it is opposed to yours?
Pope Francis
There are always doors that are not closed. One needs to look for the doors that are at least a little open, enter in and speak about common matters, and go forward. Step by step. Peace is a craft: it is made day by day. Friendship among people, getting to know one another, and esteem are also a craft: they are fashioned each day. Respect for the other, saying what one thinks but with respect, walking together … Someone thinks about it in a certain way: say that, be very sincere in what each person thinks.
Claudio Lavagna
Do you think he will soften his decisions afterward?
Pope Francis
This is a political calculation that I do not allow myself to make. Even on the religious level, I am not one to proselytize. Thank you.
What did Pope Francis really say about the Fraternity of St. Pius X (the Lefebvrists)?
Nicholas Senèze [“La Croix” (France)]
Thank you, Holy Father. Let us return to Fatima, to which the Fraternity of St. Pius X has a great devotion. There is much talk about an agreement which would grant an official status to the Fraternity in the Church. Some had even imagined this announcement would be made today. Your Holiness, do you think that this agreement will be possible in the near future? And what obstacles remain? And what, for you, is the meaning of this reconciliation? Will it be the triumphant return of faithful who will show what it means to be truly Catholic, or something else?
Pope Francis
But, I would throw away every form of triumphalism, no? Several days ago, the “feria quarta” of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, their session — they call it “feria quarta” because it is held on Wednesdays — studied a document, and the document, the study of the document, has still not come to me. This is the first thing.
Second: the current relations are fraternal. Last year, I gave the permission for confessions to all of them, as well as a form of jurisdiction over marriages.
But first, also, the problems, the cases they had — for example — that had to be resolved by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Congregation has been moving them forward. For example, abuse: cases of abuse, they have been bringing them to us; also for the Apostolic Penitentiary; also for laicizing a priest, they bring it to us….
There are fraternal relations. I have a good relationship with Bishop Fellay; I have spoken to him many times … I don’t like to rush things. Walk, walk, walk, and then we’ll see. For me, it is not a problem of winners and losers, no. It is a problem of brothers who have to walk together, and of seeing the formula for making steps ahead.
Translated by Diane Montagna of Aleteia’s English edition.
