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The Pope affirmed that he will travel to Argentina "as soon as the opportunity arises."

2021-03-08T15:10:25.336Z


Speaking to the press on his return to Rome after his visit to Iraq, the pontiff indicated that this trip should also include a visit to Uruguay and southern Brazil.


03/08/2021 12:01

  • Clarín.com

  • World

Updated 03/08/2021 12:01

Pope Francis told the press that, although he does not intend to return to live in his native country, he will make

a trip to Argentina "as soon as the opportunity arises

"

"I mean, so that homeland-phobia fantasies are not made, when the opportunity arises, (a trip) should be made to

Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil

, since they have a cultural similarity," he said.


He also assured that he traveled to Iraq after

thinking about it a lot and knowing the risks

, as he explained during the press conference on the return flight from his three-day visit to the Arab country, in which he acknowledged that the trip had been questioned due to the possibilities of contagion of coronavirus and for security reasons.

"The trips are cooked in time, in my conscience and this (the pandemic) is something that made me doubt, but I have prayed a lot and I have made a decision freely, but that came from within," he said when asked about the risks of people getting sick by participating in their actions.

And he added: "I told myself, the one who makes me decide (God), to take care of the people. And thus make the decision, after prayer and knowing the risks."

Pope Francis responded for an hour to journalists' questions about the trip to Iraq and about future visits, now that they have resumed after a 15-month hiatus due to the pandemic, although he confessed that he has felt a lot on this trip " more tired "because the 84 years are heavy.

"To make a decision about travel, I listen. And I listen to the advice of so many, of counselors. Sometimes I ask, what do they think, do I have to go or not? And then I pray, pray, and reflect," he explained.

He confessed that the decision of this trip comes from afar, from the requests of the ambassadors and the president, but that what moved him the most was reading the book of Nadia Murad, the young Yazidi turned slave by the Islamic State and who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to eradicate sexual violence as a weapon in wars and armed conflicts.

"It is the history of the Yazidis, where Nadia Murad tells some terrible things. I advise you to read it (...) For me, this was the background of this decision. I carry that book inside, and also to Nadia, who He came to tell me terrible things. All these things together made the decision, "he explained.

Who sells weapons to terrorists?

Francisco explained that in the city of Mosul, a symbol of jihadist horror, when he passed in front of the great (Syrian-Catholic) destroyed church, he was speechless.

"One cannot believe it. This church was destroyed, but also others and mosques, which you see did not like these people (the terrorists of the Islamic State). You cannot believe what human cruelty reaches," he said.

And he reflected on what is now happening again in Africa, "where the war begins to spin and also the so-called Islamic State."

When he was praying before the devastated church, the pope commented that the question came to his mind: "Who sells weapons to these destroyers? Because weapons are not built by them at home. Maybe some explosives, but not weapons. Who is responsible? I would ask that those who sell them the weapons, at least, have the sincerity to say that they are ".

Hungary, next trip and the Lebanon project 

On what is now a traditional question of whether he has planned a trip to Argentina, Francisco joked that whenever they ask him, he

affirms that he was 76 years old and "it was enough

.

"

And regarding his travel plans and the imminent anniversary of his eighth year of pontificate, Francis joked crossing his fingers, to avoid bad omens, and acknowledged that on this trip he got much more tired than the others.

"84 don't come alone," he joked.

He confirmed that he will travel to Hungary for the end of the Eucharistic Congress next September and that since Slovakia is only 200 kilometers away, he could also extend the visit to that country.

He also spoke of his promise to go to Lebanon.

"Lebanon suffers and Lebanon is more than a balance. It has the weakness of presenting some differences and the strength of the great reconciled people."

He pointed out that there was the possibility of going to Beirut during this visit to Iraq, but that it seemed little to him, "a crumb, for a country that suffers."

"In these months I felt in prison"

On the fact that trips have been resumed after 15 months due to the pandemic and that on this trip he has returned to be in contact with the faithful, the pope confessed that in the past months he felt like in a prison.

"I feel different when I am away from the people and I would like to start the general hearings again soon. We hope that the conditions are met, but I follow the instructions of the authorities who are responsible," he said.

"After these months in prison, because I felt in a prison, the truth that this for me (being in contact with the people) is reviving, because it is touching the Church, touching the holy people of God," he added.

By Cristina Cabrejas - EFE

Source: clarin

All news articles on 2021-03-08

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