Cardinal Parolin: ‘In Corsica, the Pope will call for prayer and responsibility’

By Massimiliano Menichetti

Final preparations are underway in Ajaccio, which on Sunday will embrace the Successor of Peter, the first Pope to visit the French island at the heart of the Mediterranean.

The bishop of the Corsican city, Cardinal François Bustillo, emphasized that Pope Francis’ presence “is not a privilege but a responsibility.” It will be a brief visit of about twelve hours, but very intense, marked by the beauty and liveliness of popular religiosity, the themes of encounter, hospitality, and care for creation.

Ahead of the Pope's 47th Apostolic Journey abroad, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who will accompany the Holy Father on this journey, spoke to Vatican News about how the local community can translate what he calls “responsibility” into concrete actions for the future, both spiritually and socially.

Q. This Apostolic Journey takes place during Advent and on the eve of the opening of the Holy Year 2025. Therefore, it can be seen in light of Saint Paul’s instructions to Titus to “live soberly and justly and godly in this world, looking for the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ... These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority. (2:12-15).

Cardinal Parolin: With his presence in Ajaccio, the Pope intends to remind us precisely of this call and responsibility, which the local Church—Bishop, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and all those involved at various levels of ecclesial life—will find ways to translate into concrete gestures and actions.

To me, it seems that practical choices should be inspired by those three fundamental attitudes mentioned by Saint Paul, which are characteristic of the life and testimony of Christians in the world: acting with sobriety, justice, and piety. In other words, responsibility must mean personal and communal conversion, reorienting our spirit toward the Lord who is coming, to bring about the “miracle” of a new life, a new society, and a new world.

Q: The Pope will close the conference on popular religiosity in the Mediterranean, attended by bishops from various nations. It is a unique opportunity for dialogue and unity. What fruits do you expect from this meeting, which involves a faith rooted in tradition yet open to evangelization?

We know how important dialogue is for Pope Francis—“the culture of encounter”—in seeking greater unity and harmony among communities, Churches, believers, countries, and nations… for which the Lord Jesus offered His life: “so they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:23).

And how important popular devotion is to him! These two guiding principles are the foundation of the conference, and it is on these two points that it aims to bear fruit.

Let me recall—regarding popular devotion—what the Holy Father writes in the chapter on proclaiming the Gospel in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (nos. 122-126). He tells us that popular piety is a powerful force for evangelization, hiding a deep faith expressed more symbolically than rationally but still with profound theological content.

Ultimately, Pope Francis invites us to see in a mother praying the rosary for her sick child, in processions and pilgrimages, in spontaneous prayers to the saints or the crucifix, in the devotion to the Madonna at a shrine... small yet significant missionary gestures that testify to a great love and great trust in the Crucified and Risen Christ.

Q: At the end of his visit, the Pope is expected to meet with French President Macron at the airport. What issues do you think might come up during their conversation, considering the perspective of building bridges and fraternity during such a complex and conflictual historical moment?

I cannot say now which issues will be central to the Holy Father's meeting with the President of the Republic, but I imagine that the theme of peace, wherever it is needed and awaited today, will be crucial.

Given the time, only few days before the celebration of Christmas, the feast of the Prince of Peace, and the current global circumstances, the peace will certainly be a central issue.

Additionally, it is well known how much respect for human life, from conception to natural death, is dear to the Catholic Church, which does not hesitate to appeal to the leaders and officials of states on every occasion, even when we know it might not be well received. On the other hand, as Paul advised Titus, "This is what you are to speak—exhort and rebuke with all authority.

The meeting will take place at Ajaccio airport, in the middle of the Mediterranean. I imagine the Holy Father will reaffirm that our sea, the mare nostrum, must not become a "cemetery nostrum" for those seeking a better future and risking their lives.

This raises the ongoing question of how to welcome, as brothers and sisters in humanity, those who knock on our doors and often contribute to building the social and economic life of our countries, bringing their talents and energy.

This approach allows us to establish rules, demand respect for our laws and social and cultural balances, but also, and above all, to work with countries of origin so that their citizens can remain and find what they need to live decently  as full citizens.

Q: Pope Francis will meet with the clergy and celebrate Mass during his visit. What messages do you expect the Holy Father will address to priests and laypeople?

Generally speaking, and especially during Apostolic Journeys, the Holy Father pays particular attention to the history of the people before him, the culture they are immersed in, and the questions, hopes, and sufferings each one carries in their heart.

In this sense, the best attitude on our part is not to "expect" something according to our preferences but to welcome his word, listen to his teachings, and allow ourselves to be helped once again along our journey.

Certainly, being in the heart of Europe, Pope Francis will not fail to encourage and support, through his presence, the apostolic commitment of the Church and its pastoral actors, both priests and laity, urging both believers and civil and political institutions to dialogue and work together for the common good of society, particularly for the most vulnerable.