Defying age and health difficulties, Pope Francis takes on vested interests to speak out on humanitarian crises

Analysis by Christopher Lamb

(CNN) — Pope Francis frequently speaks out on issues such as war, migration and climate change, according to a senior Vatican cardinal, to warn world leaders they are making “suicidal” decisions.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, who leads a Vatican department focused on social justice, stressed that while Francis might face criticism or being misunderstood, he has a moral imperative to speak out on behalf of Catholics.

“I think [what] he would say is, I speak out because of the commitment of the faithful. In other words, I’m not speaking because I have personally some kind of a special response to give. No, I speak out because there are millions of Catholics and other Christians and other believers and other people of good will for whom or in whose voice I’m speaking,” he told CNN. “And we’re trying to say to the world’s decision-makers that their decisions are anti-human, short-sighted, suicidal.”

The cardinal’s remarks came after the pope met with reporters on Monday January 22 at the Vatican, where he underlined the importance of responsible journalism in today’s world.

“Being a journalist is a vocation, somewhat like that of a doctor, who chooses to love humanity by curing illnesses,” the pope said. “In a certain sense, the journalist does likewise, choosing to touch personally the wounds of society and the world.”

From the moment of his election almost 11 years ago, the 87-year-old pontiff has been a newsmaker. His decision to avoid the trappings of office, live simply in a Vatican guesthouse and call for a “poor church for the poor” caught the attention of the world. But it’s been his willingness to address the pressing issues of the day that has made him a pope with a voice on the global stage.

He’s been ready to speak to on a range of topics from the death penalty to Artificial Intelligence while repeatedly calling for peace in Gaza and Ukraine, action on climate and greater efforts to help refugees fleeing war and poverty. Francis has given more media interviews than any other pope, always ready to meet and greet reporters on his trips abroad.

In a recent interview broadcast on Nove, which is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, Francis addressed concerns about his health. Francis, who has recently recovered from a bout of bronchitis and had an abdominal operation in June, said he will remain in office for “as long as (he has) the ability to serve.”

The pope’s news making has helped him communicate the pillars of his papacy, chief among them being his consistent support for migrants.

Francis, whose grandparents narrowly escaped a deadly shipwreck when they migrated from Italy to Argentina, ensured that his first visit outside of Rome as pope was to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa.

While there, he lamented the “global indifference” to refugees while remembering those who had died while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. In 2016, he described then-US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric as “not Christian” and in the same year he bought back a dozen refugees on his papal plane after a visit to the Greeks island of Lesbos.

Czerny works closely with Francis in this area, and his office has been working to galvanize Catholics to welcome migrants in their communities.

“What we try to do is to help the church locally, wherever it is, to accompany the migrants and refugees, to welcome them, to protect them, to promote them and to integrate them,” he explains.

For Czerny, like Francis, migration is not about numbers but names, faces and people. His family fled Czechoslovakia for Canada when he was four years old. His grandmother was sent to Auschwitz and died soon after World War II.

“I wouldn’t be here talking to you if a family in Canada had not sponsored us,” he said.

The Canadian cardinal said Francis sees the migrant crisis as “a litmus test of our humanity” but one that the developed world is “largely failing.”

The issue is featuring in the US presidential race, with Republican candidate Trump making inflammatory claims that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” According to polls, 63% of white Catholics who attend Mass monthly or more often supported the former president in the 2020 election.

“It’s the church in the United States that needs to deal with this, needs to respond to it and needs to help God’s people to evaluate whether this discourse has any validity or whether it’s just ideology and fear,” Cardinal Czerny said when asked about the rhetoric being used. “Then they have to vote accordingly and I trust that they will.”

Another concern for the pope and the cardinal is Artificial Intelligence, with Francis recently calling for a treaty to regulate its use. Cardinal Czerny said the development of AI is “so fast in its evolution that for society to respond responsibly to the risks while benefiting from the benefits is not easy.” However, he stressed that countries need to work together to ensure that it “doesn’t become an affliction, a new suffering or a new risk for human life.”

But speaking with a prominent voice means facing criticism. Francis’ critiques of capitalism have led to accusations that he is a “communist,” while some politicians have questioned whether the pope was a credible voice to speak on climate change.

Czerny admitted there is “resistance” to Francis’ progressive message, but said the pope will “continue to be criticized” because he’s touching on “well-to-do-interests” that are both financial and political.

“Jesus had the same trouble in his time,” he said. “People were quick to apply labels and to try to corner him because the basic message was not to their liking.”

Some of the internal opposition to the pope has intensified following his move to authorize the blessings of same-sex couples. The Vatican doctrine office’s ruling that priests can bless couples in “irregular” situations saw bishops in Africa said they “generally prefer” not to bless same-sex couples.

“Yes, there will be criticisms,” said Czerny, who before coming to the Vatican worked in Africa and central America. He stressed Francis’ priority is not to avoid criticisms but “to include and console and bless and reconcile those who are suffering.”

Despite his age, the pope is far from slowing down. And despite his recent health problems, he’s unlikely to be cowed.

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