Pope Francis, who turns 10 on Monday as head of the Catholic Church, asked for “peace” as a gift for the anniversary of his pontificate.
“For my 10 years as Pope, give me peace,” the pontiff asked in an interview with the Vatican media on the Popecast podcast.
After 40 trips abroad, three encyclicals, 899 canonized saints, thousands of audiences, hundreds of visits to dioceses and parishes, the Pope called the meeting with grandparents from all over the world on September 28, 2014 “the most beautiful moment of his pontificate.”
“The older people are wise and help me a lot. I’m old too, right? But old people are like good wine (…). beautiful, precious moments,” he said.
As for more difficult situations, Francis mentioned all those that were related to the war, such as when he visited the military cemeteries of Redipuglia and Anzio in Italy, the commemoration of the landings in Normandy, or the vigil in connection with the conflict in Syria.
“The military industry is behind the wars, it’s devilish,” he said, regretting that he was the pope of the “third world war.”
“It hurts me to see dead, young people – I don’t care if they are Russian or Ukrainian – who don’t come back. It’s hard,” he said.
However, Francis presented his “three dreams for the Church, for the world, for those who rule the world, for humanity: brotherhood, tears, smiles”.
“Learn not to be afraid to cry and smile: when a person is not afraid to cry and smile, he stands with his feet on the ground, and his gaze is fixed on the horizon of the future. If they forget to cry, something is wrong. And if they forget to smile, it’s even worse,” he commented.
On March 13, 2013, the Pope recalled that “it seems like yesterday” he took over the leadership of the Catholic Church.
“These 10 years have been like this: tension, life in tension,” he added.
This Monday, Francis’ pontificate marks the 10th anniversary marked by the war in Ukraine and the scandal of sexual abuse of minors in the church.
Francisco is due to visit Portugal this year, for the second time in his mandate, to take part in World Youth Day, six years after he completed the Centenary of Fatima and canonized the seers Francisco and Jacinta.