Steiner: Mercy is the legacy that Francisco left to the church

Isabella H. De Carvalho – the Vatican city

The “great legacy” that the Pope left for the church is “mercy”, from this feeling, we understand his “struggle for peace”, his commitment to “the poor” and “for creation”. For Cardinal Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, head of Manus’s bishops, in the Brazilian Amazon, the ink will be remembered for his constant interest to the marginalized and women. At this time, Cardinal feels a great “gratitude” of Francisco Pontva, and he had a memory in his heart when the Pope called him during the epidemic, to show his near Manus resident, who was severely affected. Speaking to the microphones in the Vatican media, whom he called by phone in his diocese, Cardinal Steiner tells “Good” that Francisco did for the Amazon, the church and the world.

How did you receive news of the death of the Pope?

I received it with some surprise, because Francisco gave the blessing of Europe or Europe and was among the people who crossed Plaza de San Pedro in Papamoville the day before. His face looked tired, but he did not expect it to happen very quickly. But his time was and we were following the events. I think, with his death, we have above all a great duty of gratitude for his service in Petro. After listening to the news in which I thought: We had a great door, the Pope who loved the Church, the Pope who loved the poor, the Pope of Mercy, the Pope from sympathy, the Pope of the young, the Pope of the Environment, the Pope of Hope, the Pope of the Holy Squares, the man who has always been practicing a lot for peace. I immediately went to this path for twelve years, all this Pontificate, which did a lot to the church, both of which are good for the world. That is why I think we are all very grateful to God because they gave him the Pope, as the roof of Rome.

The Pope has shown close attention to the Amazon and its inhabitants during Puntfon. What is, in your opinion, the long -term effect of all of this?

Impact all over the world. Once the Amazon is a Brazilian problem, today it represents a problem all over the world. Everyone talks about that day and talks about the church in the Amazon, about the original peoples who live there. Therefore, the love that he has in this region, today is dedication, or rather care, I think the world is gradually assumed towards the Amazon, but not only. The Amazon was the starting point, then you think about caring for the environment in general. I also think that seeing the Pope is beautiful, which saw the Amazon more than one area. He saw this land as a whole: social issues, the environmental issue, the church here. His way of doing it was also beautiful because he said that to confront these things, and he cares and not destroying our joint house, and it is necessary to transform and abide. I think the focus on the Amazon was also a way to achieve the beauty of the post Laudato yes.

Creating was also a major theme for Pontificate in Francisco. What is the legacy that the Pope leaves in this regard?

I think his central topic was mercy. From mercy, we can read the issue of caring for creation. From mercy we can understand their struggle for peace. From mercy we can see the Synod. From mercy, it follows the care that it had throughout the World Church. He returned to the church in the basic sense of the kingdom of God: that the kingdom of mercy be the kingdom of care. This is the legacy of Pope Francis the Great, it was a great treasure. Also on the issue of Mercy, you can read their request for the poor and the elderly. But you can also read its continuous gestures aimed at opening an increasing participation of women inside the church.

Can you tell us any story or a personal memory of the Pope, who thinks he represents it well?

I think one of the beautiful things of the Pope is that in the face of many questions, he always had a good humor. He was a man of the soul. This, in my opinion, described it. Everyone was a little surprised by the jokes he made, but he had a good humor above all, facing difficulties and beauty. He always had humor, by leading the life of the Church, when he faced difficult moments, by asking questions, by criticizing, for example, market dominance, domination of money, and even when he spoke about the relationship with nature. But I always had a word of breathing, the word hope. When Cardinal created, in 2022, Francisco remembers, after ten years, our first conversation. I was very affected because I was able to remember our first meeting and that his gesture was gratitude for the conversation we conducted. I hold this memory with me another emotional moment when I called us during the epidemic, when we were in a very difficult situation, in Manus. Call us to encourage us and show its proximity. It is a gesture that we cannot forget and we will live throughout our lives.