It was Pope Francis' first trip since his surgery in June. And he said he feels perfectly fine.
POPE FRANCIS
My health is good. My stitches were taken out, I live a normal life. I have a bandage that I have to wear for two three months.
On his flight back from Lisbon, the Pope told the press that the irregularities in his speeches were not all due to eye problems. He said he did not read some of them for pastoral reasons.
There was also talk of abuse scandals. In Portugal, a report carried out at the request of the bishops revealed that almost 5,000 children were victims of abuse by priests or religious since 1950.
Pope Francis said he was satisfied with the transparency of the report, although he believes that the media may have exaggerated it.
POPE FRANCIS
The process is going well, I am notified of how things are going, maybe the news made it appear out of proportion. But things are going well.
In Lisbon, the Pope repeated on several occasions that the Church must be a place open to all. The journalists asked him if this is compatible with the fact that there are people who are denied the sacraments, like women who cannot be ordained priests or those actively living a homosexual lifestyle.
POPE FRANCIS
This does not mean that (the Church) is closed. Everyone meets God in their own way within the Church, and the Church is a mother and guides everyone on their own way.
The Pope also spoke about his visit to Fatima. He said he prayed for peace.
His next trip will be to Mongolia. And then to Marseille, France, to participate in meetings with the bishops of the Mediterranean. Pope Francis said he is very concerned about the dangerous situation of migrants and refugees who cross the ocean to reach Europe.
JRB
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