On May 21, I conducted a lengthy interview with Pope Francis for my network Televisa. Last year was the most difficult year of his pontificate, due to several pedophilia scandals, some errors of evaluation, silences that weighed heavily and growing criticism from groups that have felt neglected and have suffered some confusion on some issues of doctrine. Therefore, the intention of this one hour and forty minute interview was to clarify, in order to better understand some of their priorities, behaviors and reactions.
It was an extremely frank conversation, in which the Pope accepted and answered all the questions, about specific cases such as those of Cardinal McCarrick, former Archbishop of Washington, Argentine Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, accused in Argentina of alleged abuse of minors and abuse of power, or the cases of his closest collaborators in the so-called C9, which has now become C6.
In the interview, I asked the Pope the questions people ask me: whether it is true that he prefers those outside the Church rather than those inside; why he talks so much about migration and seems to speak little about issues such as life or the family; why in Argentina he had a reputation as a conservative and now he is considered a progressive; why he seems to feel more comfortable with "leftist" rulers, who have a strong social program, but do not defend the values of the Catholic Church, than with those of the right who support them but do not have a program in favor of the most needy; why he has a privileged relationship with people living in complicated situations, among many others. Francis tried to explain with great tranquility and even with good humor, his way of being and reacting.
I liked the headline that L'Osservatore Romano dedicated to the interview: "With an open heart", because that was my feeling.
