The President of Aragon, Javier Lambán, and the Archbishop of Zaragoza, Carlos Escribano, held a private 20-minute meeting with Pope Francis.
During the audience, they made the following request: to restore the image of Pope Benedict XIII, also known as 'Pope Luna', who was condemned at the Council of Constance in the 15th century as a heretic and antipope.
JAVIER LAMBÁN
President of Aragon
'Pope Luna' was a stubborn man, as a good Aragonese, but at the same time one of the wisest and most cultured of his time. He was a man of outstanding intelligence who insisted on maintaining what he believed in against all odds.
The Archbishop of Zaragoza, who described the meeting as 'fruitful', highlighted the figure of this Pope and his importance in Aragon. On the way to rehabilitate him, he clarified that it is a procedure that corresponds to Rome.
BP. CARLOS ESCRIBANO
Diocese of Zaragoza
I think it is up to Rome to decide what can be done. It is in fact an unusual figure in the request that we make, but they will see what steps we have to take and they will indicate to us so that we get the final solution right.
During the visit, the Pope mentioned a passing trip to Zaragoza, where a colleague lived.
He had his dad there. He took me to visit his dad and on the way he took me to visit the basilica. Afterwards, I continued on to Bilbao.
Francisco also shared some anecdotes from his childhood related to Spain.
JAVIER LAMBÁN
President of Aragon
Talking about his childhood in Argentina and talking about his time in Spain, he knows Spain inside out, he knows Spain to perfection. He told the archbishop and me that, at home, as a child, in Argentina, one of his grandmothers taught him a coplilla, an Aragonese jota, which literally says: 'La Virgen del Pilar says that she does not want to be French, she wants to be captain of the Aragonese troops'. That to the archbishop and to me has touched our souls.
The president, who gave the Pope some gifts related to the history of Aragon, also took the opportunity to invite the pontiff to visit Zaragoza.
When you, hopefully soon, visit Saragossa we will convey this to you in an even more solemn way.
Aragon will commemorate next year the 600th anniversary of the death of Benedict XIII, the 'Pope Moon.'
CA
TR: KG
