the words of the sovereign pontiff on “corsican secularism” provoke reactions

Pope Francis, visiting Corsica on December 15, did not address certain issues, such as the mafia, corruption or migration… On the other hand, he spoke of popular piety and secularism. His comments immediately caused many media to react. So what did they think of this position?

Days after his visit, it is undoubtedly these words from the Pope which still arouse the most comments: “It is in this confusion-free intertwining that the constant dialogue takes place between the religious world and the secular world, between the Church and civil and political institutions. On this subject, you have been on the road for a long time, it is one of your traditions and you are a virtuous example in Europe. Continue on this path.”

What did he mean when he envisaged Corsican secularism?

The international press took up the subject. For the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, the pope denounces a risk that this popular religiosity will be used and manipulated by groups who intend to defend their identity in a polemical way, fueling particularism, conflicts and exclusionary attitudes.

In France, the weekly Marianne similarly denounces the idea that this popular religiosity is appropriated by groups keen to strengthen their identity in a polemical way, perhaps with the intention of regulating immigration in particular.

Finally, Sud-Ouest goes even further, talking about “angelism” of the pope, of a vision “soft”, “inadequate” to current issues, wondering if it is appropriate for the Pope to judge and criticize secularism, one of the components of our republican model.

Sharp criticism that the editor-in-chief of the Lord's Day program on France 2 seemed to anticipate on December 15. “He came for popular piety. He came to speak to the Corsican people, and that’s what he did. I believe that Pope Francis does not necessarily have a political agenda. We know well that this visit, even today, follows his encyclical and that today precisely this question of popular piety is what occupies his mind. It was a bit of his spiritual testament too. So I think he wanted to fully dedicate himself to this issue and what he saw and what he experienced only brought him there.”

In Corsica, Pope Francis has in any case delivered an important message intended for the island but also for France as a whole. A message on secularism which will remain a marker of its passage.

Pierre Nicolas' report: