Pope Francis raises his voice against the “plague” of femicides, in the book ‘Os ruego en nombre de Dios’ (Messenger, from the Loyola Communication Group), edited by the Argentine journalist Hernán Reyes, and calls for professional development and motherhood are not “incompatible” projects.
“Faced with the plague of violence that many women experience, we must also raise our voices forcefully so that femicides stop, so that the horror of trafficking is ended and public policies are generated in order to allow professional development and motherhood are not incompatible projects”, Bergoglio emphasizes in the book.
In a meeting with journalists, this Tuesday, at Jesuitas Maldonado, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Francisco’s pontificate, the journalist Hernán Reyes highlighted the Pontiff’s concern for “horrible crimes, femicides” as well as for the need to achieve a “greater equity and women’s participation in church and society”, some current issues this week, for International Women’s Day, which is celebrated this Wednesday, March 8.
The Pope, according to Reyes, is “very attentive” to these demands for greater equity and participation, and has stressed that he not only echoes these demands but has “put them into practice” with some appointments of women to positions of responsibility in the Vatican.
“What he has already done is a lot. What remains to be done? Sure. But the Pope has also said that he waits – he said two years but it was six months ago, so, a year and a half from now -, the possibility that a woman could be prefect of a department of the Roman Curia”, she commented.
Another of the issues that the Pope addresses in the book -which arises from a mixture of “personal interviews, suggestions, WhatsApp audios, emails and calls”- is that of abuses, a chapter that begins, according to Reyes, with a “forceful phrase” that shows the “commitment” of the Pope: “I cannot start without asking for forgiveness once more”.
The Argentine journalist has affirmed that Pope Francis is aware of the investigations that are being carried out in Spain, “is in contact with some victims” and “has promoted the reopening of some processes”. “That from the public but, sometimes, he does more in private,” he pointed out.
In his opinion, with Francisco “progress” has been made in the fight against abuses, for example, with the institution of an anti-pedophile commission, with the consideration of cover-up as a cause for dismissal of bishops or with the imprescriptibility of crimes of abuse. . “There are more tools to judge and a look very focused on prevention,” Reyes has remarked.
As for the resistance that Bergoglio is encountering, even within the Church itself, Hernán Reyes considers that this is a “symptom that the Pope is touching interests” and has opined that it is “impossible” for a Pontiff to leave the 1,200 happy millions of Catholics because each one has his “imprint”.
In the case of Francisco, the Argentine journalist has highlighted his commitment to the “unity of the Church” by driving away “any ghost of schism.” Regarding a possible resignation, Reyes considers that “that moment is not even close by chance.”