AB Fisichella reflects on Pope's catechism speech

(Vatican Radio) The President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, has been speaking about Pope Francis’ speech on Wednesday evening marking the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Council sponsored a meeting to celebrate the anniversary and,  reflecting on the Pope’s address, Archbishop Fisichella said that, “there are many different issues in the discourse of Pope Francis.”

Archbishop Fisichella spoke with Vatican Radio’s Blandine Hugonnet about some of these issues.

Listen to the interview:

The Archbishop noted in particular the Pope’s reference to Pope John XXIII’s opening speech to the Second Vatican Council. The Pope, noted Archbishop Fisichella, explains that faith is not static but dynamic. The Archbishop added that, “ in this speech I would say the dynamic of the Christian truth and our faith is what, in my humble opinion, touched me personally.”

Asked about Pope Francis’ reference to the death penalty, Archbishop Fisichella said the Holy Father’s comments are very much in line with the words of St Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI on this issue. But he continued, “yesterday it seems to me that Pope Francis said something more, because he said that when we have a voluntary suppression of a human life this is against the Gospel itself. I think that this is something strong; very profound and very strong.”