Pope Francis gave his traditional press conference aboard the Singapore Airlines A350 that took him back to Rome on September 13, 2024. On this occasion, among the topics he addressed were his love for China, “hope for the Church,” and the uncertainty that currently reigns around a trip to his country of origin, Argentina. “I won't be going to Paris” for the Mass to reopen Notre-Dame Cathedral, he also clarified.
A declaration of love for China
Over the years, Pope Francis has repeatedly expressed his desire to visit China. This time, he once again expressed his love for the country, responding on the plane to a question from Stefania Falasca, an Italian Vatican expert and correspondent for Tianou Zhiku, a media outlet linked to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
He said that for him, China is “a dream,” “a promise and a hope for the Church.”
“I admire and respect China,” he emphasized. He praised its millenary history, as well as its “capacity for dialogue” despite “the different systems of government it has had.”
The Pontiff then hailed the “good will” at work in the process of appointing bishops, the fruit of the unpublished agreement ratified by China and the Holy See in 2018. The agreement could be renewed for the third consecutive time next October. “I've spoken with the Secretary of State, and I'm happy with how things are going,” he explained.
Finally, he called for “collaboration” to resolve conflicts, highlighting the work done by the Cardinal Archbishop of Bologna, Matteo Maria Zuppi, who visited China in September 2023.
US election: “Everyone should think and act according to their conscience”
Asked about the dilemma facing American Catholics, soon to choose the next president, Pope Francis called for choosing the “lesser evil.”
“One must vote,” insisted the Argentine Pope, refusing to tell people which candidate to choose. “Which is the lesser evil? That lady or that gentleman? I don’t know; each person must think and decide according to their own conscience,” he declared.
The question, from a journalist of CBS News, was phrased: What advice would you give a Catholic voter faced with a candidate who supports ending a pregnancy and another who wants to deport 11 million migrants?
The Pontiff recalled his visit to the border with Mexico during his 2016 visit to Ciudad Juárez, across the border from El Paso. He recalled the shoes lost on the banks of the Rio Grande by migrants who had “ended badly.”
“Migration is a right, and it was already present in Sacred Scripture and in the Old Testament. The stranger, the orphan, and the widow — do not forget this,” he said. He also denounced the slavery suffered by some migrants in Central America today.
About the issue of human dignity in any stage, the Pope was emphatic:
Having an abortion is killing a human being. Whether you like the word or not, it’s murder. The Church is not closed-minded because it forbids abortion; the Church forbids abortion because it kills. It is murder; it is murder!
And we need to be clear about this: sending migrants away, not allowing them to grow, not letting them have life is something wrong, it is cruelty. Sending a child away from the womb of the mother is murder because there is life. And we must speak clearly about these things. “No, but however..." "No but however.” Both things are clear. The orphan, the stranger, and the widow — do not forget this.
The journalist pressed: In your opinion, Your Holiness, are there circumstances in which it is morally permissible to vote for a candidate who is in favor of abortion?
In political morality, it is generally said that not voting is ugly, it's not good. One must vote. And one must choose the lesser evil. Which is the lesser evil? That lady or that gentleman? I don’t know; each person must think and decide according to their own conscience.
Argentina: a still uncertain trip
Interviewed by a compatriot, the journalist Elisabetta Piqué, Pope Francis said he had not yet decided whether he would visit Argentina, his home country. He has not returned since his election in 2013. But if he does go, the Pope confirmed that he intends to make a stopover in the Canary Islands (Spain), due to the impact of the migration crisis on this archipelago off the coast of Morocco.
No other travel plans were mentioned during the press conference. The only apostolic trip currently scheduled is to Luxembourg and Belgium, from September 26 to 29.
No trip to Paris for Notre-Dame
The rumor of Pope Francis going to Paris on December 8 for the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris had gained momentum. On the plane, a few minutes before the press conference, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, still left some doubt. He joked that it might be a reparation after Napoleon's coronation by Pius VII in the same cathedral in 1804.
For his part, Pope Francis left no ambiguity about his intentions, twice asserting his verdict: “I will not go to Paris.” He has not yet announced whether he intends to send a papal representative.
The Pope's other statements
As usual, Pope Francis answered questions from journalists in the countries he visited: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.
He confessed to having particularly appreciated East Timor, with which he said he had fallen “in love.” East Timor has the particular characteristic of being the world's most Catholic country, after the Vatican. However, it was the joy and liveliness that he mentioned.
He returned to the metaphor of “crocodiles,” which he used at Mass in Tasi Tolu, explaining that he had meant to refer to the “ideas from outside that can ruin the harmony" and "joyful family culture" of the country, referring in part to the fact that the country has many children.
The Pope also praised the beauty of Papua New Guinea and congratulated an Indonesian journalist on his country. He praised Singapore's culture and its ability to shine on the international stage, citing the forthcoming Formula 1 Grand Prix to be held there. "One other thing: You residents of Singapore are very friendly — always smiling!" he added.
Finally, the Pontiff spoke of the conflict in the Holy Land, lamenting the lack of progress toward peace on both sides. He praised the work of King Abdullah of Jordan, who he described as a “man of peace.”
Read the full working translation/transcription provided by VaticanNews, here.
