Pope regrets that the Catholic Church is still too “Eurocentric”

Vatican City, Sep 18 (EFE) - Pope Francis lamented Wednesday that the Catholic Church is still too “Eurocentric or, as they say, Western,” in a reflection on his recent trip to Asia and Oceania, during the general audience held in St. Peter's Square.

CAMERA: DANIEL CÁCERES.

FOOTAGE OF THE POPE FRANCISCO'S AUDIENCE IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE AT THE VATICAN.

SOUNDBITES OF THE PONTIFF, IN ITALIAN.

Translation:

1) A first reflection that naturally arises after this trip is that in thinking about the Church we are still too Eurocentric or as they say, Western, but in reality the Church is much bigger. Much bigger than the Rome of Europe, much bigger and also, I would say, much more alive in those countries. I experienced it emotionally, meeting with these communities, and listening to the testimony of priests, nuns, lay people, especially the catechists. Catechists are the ones who carry out evangelization.

2) Faith, fraternity, and compassion was the motto of the visit to Indonesia. There I saw that fraternity is the future and the answer to anti-civilization, the diabolical plots of hatred and war, even sectarianism.

3) In Papua New Guinea, an archipelago in process towards the immensity of the Pacific Ocean, the protagonists were and continue to be the missionaries and catechists. In them, I saw a new future, without tribal violence, without dependencies, without ideological and economic colonialism.

4) The human and social promotion power of the Christian message stands out specially in the story of East Timo, a people that not only generated many children, but there was a sea of children. So many? That not only begets many children but teaches them to smile. I will never forget the smiles of the children of that homeland, of that region. They always smile at the children there, and there are so many of them. Teach them to smile with that faith. And that is a guarantee for the future. I would like to say, without exaggerating, that I breathed spring air there.

5) I thank the Lord for allowing me to do as an elderly Pope, what I wanted to do as a young Jesuit because I wanted to go to the missionaries there.

6) In recent days, heavy torrential rains have lashed Central and Eastern Europe, causing victims, missing persons, and great damage, and Austria, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Poland, in particular, have to deal with the tragic inconveniences caused by the floods. I assure you all of my closeness, praying especially for those who have lost their lives and for their families. I thank and encourage the local Catholic communities and other volunteer organizations for the help and relief they are providing.

7) Next Saturday, September 21 is World Alzheimer's Day, let us pray that medical science will soon be able to offer. Prospects for a cure for this disease, and that more and more appropriate interventions are put in place to support the sick and their families.

8) Let us pray for peace, let us not forget that war is a defeat, let us not forget Palestine, Israel. Let us not forget the tormented Ukraine, Myanmar and so many places where there are wars, ugly wars. May the Lord give us all a heart that seeks peace and defeats war. War always, that war is a defeat.