On return flight from Africa, Leo urges focusing on the individual human beings in the tragic situations of the world, and a culture of peace.
"There are many human situations, and I think we must be able to think in these terms," Pope Leo said on the return flight from Equatorial Guinea, landing in Rome in the evening of Thursday, April 23, the 11th day since his departure.
Journalists asked him pointed questions -- about the regime in Iran, about a German move to bless same-sex couples, about immigration, and the deadlock in negotiations between the US and Iran.
But the comment on the Lebanese boy is perhaps symbolic of the general thread of his answers: "human situations" that must be the focus of decisions.
Optics and behind the scenes
Pope Leo was asked if his presence in these four countries could be interpreted badly: Paul Biya has ruled in Cameroon since 1982; Teodoro Obiang Nguema has ruled Equatorial Guinea since he took power in 1979.
In the United States, a feature by CNN two days ago asked if the optics of his visit had "lent legitimacy to strongman leaders."
To answer the Pope returned to comments he made on an earlier flight, saying that "the primary purpose of the travel that I do, that the Pope does" is "to visit the people."
He then remarked about the vast diplomatic system of the Holy See and how it "continues with, at times, great sacrifice, to maintain diplomatic relations with countries throughout the world. And sometimes we have diplomatic relationships with countries that have authoritarian leaders."
In fact, the Holy See has formal relations with 184 states; the states with no formal relations with the Vatican at all are Afghanistan, Bhutan, China (except for temporary pastoral agreements signed in 2018), North Korea, and the Maldives.
The Pope's answer to the journalist acknowledged that people will interpret things "as they will," but will never know about the work done behind the scenes.
We have the opportunity to speak with them on a diplomatic level, on a formal level. We don't always make great proclamations — criticizing, judging, or condemning. But there’s an awful lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to promote justice, to promote humanitarian causes, to look for, at times, situations where there may be political prisoners, and finding a way for them to be freed. Situations of hunger, of sickness, etc.
So the Holy See, by maintaining, if you will, a neutrality and looking for ways to continue our positive diplomatic relationship with so many different countries, we’re actually trying to find a way to apply the Gospel to concrete situations so that the lives of people can be improved.
People will interpret the rest of it as they will, but I think it’s important for us to look for the best way that we can to try and help the people of any given country.
Another journalist asked about Iran hanging members of the opposition. "Do you condemn these actions, and do you have any message to the Iranian regime," the journalist asked.
"I condemn all actions that are unjust," he said.
I condemn the taking of people’s lives. I condemn capital punishment. I believe that human life is to be respected and that all people — from conception to natural death — their lives should be respected and protected.
So when a regime, when a country takes decisions which takes away the lives of other people unjustly, then obviously that is something that should be condemned.
About the war in Iran, regime change, the nuclear threat, the Pope began by saying we need to "promote a new attitude and a culture of peace."
"Very often, when we assess certain situations, the immediate response is that we must go in with violence, with war, with attacks," he said.
He acknowledged that the situation is complex, that negotiations are confusing, but he said, "It is very important that innocent people are protected, as has not happened in several places."
I carry with me a photo of a Muslim child who, during the visit to Lebanon, was waiting there with a sign saying “Welcome Pope Leo.” He has been killed in this final phase of the war. There are many human situations, and I think we must be able to think in these terms.
As a Church — I repeat — as a pastor, I cannot be in favor of war. And I would like to encourage everyone to make efforts to seek answers that come from a culture of peace, not hatred and division.
