Pope Francis: Church is not ready for a Third Vatican Council

By Lisa Zengarini

On the occasion of its 65th anniversary, the Spanish Catholic magazine “Vida Nueva” has issued a special edition entirely focused on Pope Francis, a longstanding subscriber of the media outlet.

In a lengthy interview published this week during his Apostolic Journey to Lisbon for the 37th World Youth Day, the Pope addressed a vast range of issues including speculation over the summoning of a Third Vatican Council, an overview of his ten years of pontificate, his concerns for the current world situation, and his next planned Apostolic Journeys.

Vatican III would be untimely

Regarding a hypothetical Vatican Council III, Pope Francis said he believes the time is not yet ripe, adding that it is not even necessary at this time, since Vatican II has yet to be fully implemented.

Regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Pope confirmed that Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, whom he appointed as his special envoy to seek a path for peace, will travel to Beijing, China, after visiting Kyiv, Moscow and Washington.

He also mentioned the Vatican's diplomatic efforts to return Ukrainian children moved from their territories by Russia during the war, saying he plans to appoint a permanent representative to serve as a bridge between the Russian and Ukrainian authorities.

The Pope further revealed that the Vatican is finalizing the organization of a peace summit gathering religious leaders in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

Planned Apostolic Journeys

In his conversation with “Vida Nueva”, Pope Francis also disclosed that he intends to visit Kosovo and Spain, confirming that his home country Argentina "is on the agenda."

Pope Francis was also asked about his “dreams” for the Church, a recurring word during his pontificate.

With regards to his reforming drive, the Pope admitted sometimes he feels a sense of “powerlessness”, which however, he said, “is good because it prevents you from believing yourself to be God."

In any case, "we cannot reform the Church without the Gospel", he stated, warning against ideologies.

Regarding the responsibility of being pastor to more than 1.3 billion Catholics across the world, Pope Francis assured that problems "have never taken away my sleep."