Pope Francis became a guest in Italy’s television programme on faith and religion called “A Sua immagine” (‘In His image’), a weekly broadcast by RAI. The Pope dialogued on a host of issues and social challenges, especially the world situation.
In speaking about the quest for world peace, he said, “It’s a story as old as humanity: with peace you always come out ahead, maybe a little but you gain, whereas with the war you lose everything. Everything! And so-called gains are losses.” The Pope recalled Pius XII’s appeal in his 1939 radio message to leaders of the world when, on the eve of World War II, he said, “Nothing is lost with peace. All can be lost with war.”
Pope Francis makes this warning his own, recalling the conflict in Ukraine that wounds Europe but also all the wars and violence that mark the world. He decried the glamorizing of violence, especially torture, which we are seeing in wars and even the media, whereas it is a terrible reality that must be stopped.
Regarding the important role media play, the Pope said “the media must help people discover and understand one another, help make friends, and send help to rid of the evils that can ruin people’s lives.” He said this positive emphasis does not mean only talking about religion and God, very important, but always safeguarding and remembering the human dimension, our common humanity.
The discussion also focused on important Church events, including the forthcoming Jubilee in 2025 that the Pope described as an occasion “to bring everyone closer to each other, with God, to resolve problems, to forgive…one of the most beautiful things about people is (offering) forgiveness.”
Recalling his own personal memories, he spoke of his grandmother, Rosa, the first to teach him love for the Blessed Mother: “She used to talk to me about St. Joseph and Our Lady, but always Jesus at the center.” He added that the centrality of Christ is important in discerning the veracity of Marian apparitions that are reported. He notes that “there have been true apparitions of Our Lady but always with the finger like this (pointing) to Jesus, not drawn to herself.
The Pope also reiterated what he called “the style” of God, recalling dimensions such as “closeness, compassion and tenderness.” He said this must be taught to children as “there is no way out: either we choose the way of love, of tenderness, or we choose the way of indifference.”
The Pope also encouraged parents to “to educate showing limits” because doing otherwise causes harm, saying children “need the caress, the love, but also the ‘no’ of love. No to tantrums.” He said the same for teachers, who help you learn, grow, but also teach the discipline needed in life.