Pope Francis is deeply worried about Latin America. He says corruption and drugs have blurred the noble idea of “Great Homeland” that inspired its independence.
This is one of the ideas touched on by the book “Papa Francisco. Latinoamérica.” It was written by Télam – the Argentinian national news agency – correspondent to Rome, Hernán Reyes. In it, the journalist captured four long interviews he held with the pope throughout last summer.
HERNÁN REYES ALCAIDE
Correspondent, Télam (Argentina)
“There is a longing for continental unity. We see, from a distance, what Europe has been able to build with the European Union. In Latin America, that process was completely abandoned after a few years.”
Pope Francis is worried by the new developments facing human beings in the 21st century – big cities, unemployment, care for the environment in a world where money rules.
It involves issues the pope has followed closely thanks to two key documents that shaped his way of observing the world from a shepherd's perspective.
HERNÁN REYES ALCAIDE
Correspondent, Télam (Argentina)
“He recognizes the Evangelii Gaudium exhortation is almost a perfect mix between the Documento de Aparecida and the Evangelii Nuntiandi. Taking into account the importance Aparecida had in then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio's formation, I thought it was a good time to reflect on the 10 years since Aparecida, keeping in mind that the first Latin American pope in history was chosen during that span.”
In fact, the interview was arranged to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Documento de Aparecida. It was a document that signaled the Latin American Church's new pastoral route and one in which Cardinal Bergoglio directly participated.
