Pope concludes Africa trip with in-flight press briefing

(Vatican Radio) During the in-flight press briefing en-route to Rome at the end of his three-nation visit to Africa, Pope Francis touched on a wide range of topics, from Vatileaks, to condoms, to a forthcoming visit to Mexico.

Listen to Ann Schneible's report:

Some of the questions centered around the Nov. 25-30 journey, during which the Pope visited Kenya, Uganda, and the Central African Republic (CAR), marking his first trip to the continent.

During the press conference, Pope Francis was asked about those suffering exclusion from basic human rights, as he witnessed during some of his encounters in Africa. The Holy Father gave the example visiting Bangui’s pediatric hospital which lacked basic equipment, where he saw severely malnourished children, most of whom were dying of malaria.

The Pope condemned economic systems which make a “god of money,” referring to this as the “idolatry of money”. He added that “if mankind does not change,  we will continue to have more miseries, tragedies, wars, children who die of hunger,  and injustice.” 

Pope Francis also decried the various forms of exploitation to which much of Africa has been subject. He described Africa as a “martyr of exploitation.”

Asked about his impressions of his first visit to Africa, Pope Francis said he was struck by the crowds, the joy, and the “very great sense of welcome” he encountered.

The Holy Father remarked on the unique identity of each of the countries he visited: Kenya, which is more modern and developed; Uganda, with its legacy of martyrs; and the CAR, with the people’s “desire for peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness.”

Pope Francs was asked about the global threat posed by fundamentalism, and whether religious leaders should intervene at a political level. Rather than intervening politically, the Holy Father said religious leaders should confront the threat of fundamentalism by promoting values, especially those of fraternity and coexistence. He also stressed that fundamentalism can be found in all religions, even Catholicism.

Turning to another topic, Pope Francis spoke with journalists about the role of the free press in dealing with matters of corruption. He said the media maintains professional integrity, so long as it avoids misinformation, calumny, and defamation.

Also addressed at the press conference was the so-called Vatileaks scandal and the ongoing trial of three Vatican employees and  the two journalists charged with publishing stolen information. Pope Francis acknowledged that “an error was made” in the appointment of the Vatican employees. The Pope said he was not surprised by the information revealed, since he was already aware of the corruption within the Vatican. Pope Francis added that it was not him, but his predecessors who began the process of rooting out corruption in the Vatican.

One journalist asked if the Church would change its teaching on the use of condoms as a preventive method against HIV, which continues to be a widespread epidemic in Africa. Pope Francis responded that the answer must be seen first in a broader context, that of healing the more “serious wound” brought about by injustice; social and environmental injustices, people dying of hunger and thirst, war and the trafficking of arms.

Pope Francis also spoke of the escalating international conflicts, as seen for instance with the Russian airplane recently shot down by Turkey. He described war as a “business of weapons,” which destroys humanity. War does not come from God, who is a God of peace, the Pope said.

Asked where his next apostolic journey would take him, Pope Francis said he would likely visit Mexico, although the specifics of the trip have not been released.