WYD: Lombardi on the Pope's appeal for dialogue

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday addressed a group of people in roles of leadership.

The encounter took place in Rio de Janeiro’s Municipal Theatre and saw the participation of a wide range of representatives of society, from businessmen to artists, from religious leaders to diplomats and politicians.

During his talk Pope Francis urged those in positions of responsibility to address the issues raised in today’s society. He said the only way to do this is through dialogue.

And as the director of the Holy See Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi said afterwards in a conversation with Vatican Radio’s Sean Patrick Lovett, the need for dialogue as a foundation for building a just future has been a recurring theme in Pope Francis’ discourses and homilies since he arrived in Brazil.

Listen to Sean’s full interview with Father Federico Lombardi, SJ…

Quoting from Pope Francis’s address to representatives of society on Friday afternoon, Sean Lovett asked Fr. Lombardi to comment on the Pope’s definition of leadership – and out of that - of responsibility:

“Leadership also means making the most just decision after having considered all the options from the standpoint of personal responsibility and concern for the common good”.

Father Lombardi points out that the Pope continuously highlights the responsibility that each member of a community, a society, the Church has: “everyone has his own contribution to give”.

He says that everyone has his perspective to contribute and this is important for the richness of the common enterprise and for the life of the entire community. But – he points out – there is also the need “for someone who helps the process to come to a certain synthesis, a certain unity, listening to the contributions and accepting the positive aspects that come from the different parts of society or of the community”.

Therefore – Fr. Lombardi continues - the Pope stresses continuously the “culture of encounter”.

“We have to encounter as persons, as groups, and accept the positive contribution the other has to give to us. We have to really listen to what the other has to say to us, and then we can come to something that is more than our single contribution because it is a synthesis at a higher level. Leadership is the capacity to help this process with respect, with attention for every contribution”.

And further: “I think that the Pope has this in mind even when he speaks of synodality in the Church”, in connection with his Petrine Ministry as Primate of the Catholic Church “that is at the service of the unity and of the process of going forward”. And referring to the entire community of the Church, Fr. Lombardi says it is “something that does not have one lone leader, but counts on the active participation of all members”.

Fr. Lombardi also points to the Pope’s discourse to the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference highlighting the Pope’s words when he says that “we don’t need a lone leader”, what is needed is the contribution of all and the capacity of dialogue to build a common way for the Church.

To Sean’s question regarding Pope Francis’ personal feelings and reactions to the ongoing visit, Fr. Lombardi says he is always very attentive “he has an incredible capacity of attention, of memory, of recognizing people, of greeting them”. Everyone – he says “feels to be in his specific attention. If he meets your eye, then you feel you are in dialogue with someone who desires to understand and to listen to you”.

Fr. Lombardi says Francis was particularly empathetic in the meeting Thursday with the young prisoners and during the representation of the Way of the Cross: “the attention with which he followed each station was impressive”.

But he said: “he also has an incredible smile. The little girl that this morning went up to him from behind provoked a wonderful smile on his face…”.