Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, bishop of Corsica, discusses in an interview with AFP the health of the pope, his absence at Notre-Dame, his action in the Mediterranean and the “enthusiasm” for his “historic visit”, Sunday in Corsica.
Q: How is Pope Francis?
A: I saw him on Saturday, we were able to talk about the organization of his pilgrimage to Corsica. He's in good shape, happy to come. Given his enthusiasm, given the enthusiasm of the Corsicans, I think we're going to have a good time. With the Pope, we have a completely fraternal relationship, friendly but not privileged. It makes me smile when people say that I am +the Pope’s favorite+. He's not coming for me. He comes to bring a word of hope to a diocese. He is a free man. He has a word of authority but he is also capable of being gentle and bringing tenderness to humanity. Almost 88 years old, he has mobility difficulties but his head and spirit are there. At a time when there is a tendency towards resignation, the pope gives himself to the end. It’s a beautiful model of life.
Q: Is Corsica ready to welcome it?
A: Corsica has been ready for a long time. At each stop of the tour, there will be singing. It is right that when the Pope visits a new reality, we can present to him the local genius, who we are, what we do, our traditions. He will leave, I hope, enriched. The diocese is poor, the Corsica region is not rich, but with the trust and hope of everything that people give, I believe that we will achieve a welcome worthy of the Pope. Everything is going well. I am confident.
Q: Notre-Dame reopened this weekend. Did the pope miss a moment of adhesion to the Church which really needs it?
A: The Church of France does indeed need unity, hope and enthusiasm. The Pope was not physically present at Notre-Dame, he was present emotionally, spiritually, through the letter that the apostolic nuncio read in his name. So the Pope is not indifferent. In Paris, there was extraordinary international influence. The feast of Our Lady was neither despised nor neglected by the absence of the Pope. Notre-Dame beamed.
Q: Is it a coincidence that he comes to an island with autonomist aspirations?
A: He is not going to get into political speeches. The Pope comes as part of a conference on popular piety, in the context of the Mediterranean, this cradle of civilization which is a little damaged because there are a lot of tensions, wars, deaths and he comes to repair the link. It will create bridges between north and south, east and west. He will speak to us about the joy and hope of believing and we need it.
Q: What does the pope want to do by creating cardinals all around the Mediterranean?
A: The Mediterranean needs personalities capable of mobilizing consciences and intelligence to create this dialogue between the north and the south, between the Muslim world and the Christian world. He thus created the Archbishop of Tehran as a cardinal. We need to meet figures capable of speaking to us better about Islam so that we are not in a logic of fear but in a movement to create fraternity.
Q: Will he repeat his condemnation of the mafia in Corsica, as requested by an anti-mafia collective?
A: Regarding the mafia, euthanasia, abortion, he has already spoken, he has spoken words of authority. The Pope will tell us his vision of popular piety and the place of the sacred in the public space. He will also give a message of peace ten days before Christmas.
