(ANS - Rome) - "For us Salesians and for the Salesian Family to see the Pope at Valdocco is a reason to thank God, thank the Pope and at the same time it is an opportunity for us to grow in fidelity to the Lord, to the Church and to our charism. His presence invites us to go forward on this path of fidelity." So says Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians, in an interview on the visit of Pope Francis in Turin.

by Alessandro Parrozzani

Pope Francis has said that he is going to Turin for the Holy Shroud and for the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco. What does this event mean for the Salesians and the Salesian Family?

Wherever he goes the presence of Pope Francis is always a great joy and a gift for everyone. For us Salesians and for the Salesian Family to see the Pope at Valdocco is a reason to thank God, thank the Pope and it is also an opportunity for us to grow in fidelity to the Lord, to the Church and to our charism. His presence invites us to go forward on this path of fidelity. This will not be only a tourist visit.

Devotion to the Pope was handed down to the Congregation by Don Bosco. What does fidelity to this tradition mean at this particular moment of history?

In the charismatic inheritance we received from Don Bosco we find a great love for the Church and a great love for the Pope. For us today this is very timely. As the Salesian Family we live with a deep sense of this and we want to ensure above all this loyalty to the Church. The Salesian Family belongs to the Church because we are followers of the Lord Jesus. At the same time the Salesian Family is on the same journey as the Church. We want to be part of the Church that is reaching out to the margins and close to the poor, as Pope Francis has called for. I think at this moment in history we have this very special responsibility for fidelity to Jesus, to the Church and to the Pope if we are to be really good educators and evangelizers of the young. We must never forget that this is our great responsibility - to be evangelizers of young people in the world, and we do it through education and human formation.

Does having a Pope with this knowledge of Don Bosco and love for Our Lady increase the sense of responsibility of the Congregation for its charism and its mission?

The Pope invites the Salesian Congregation and by extension the Salesian Family to be very faithful to the Lord Jesus in our charismatic roots. The Pope reminds us always of the urgency we feel to meet the needs of young people, especially those most in need. He urges us not to grow weary, not to put ourselves as a congregation in a comfort zone, but to seek sobriety, austerity and poverty. And it is my task as Rector Major, to remind all of our Salesian Family and especially the Salesian Congregation of this.

What are the challenges that the Salesians and the Salesian Family must overcome in order to be more faithful to the guidelines and the style of Pope Francis?

I think we must have great sensitivity and have our eyes and ears open for the real cry of young people to understand what the real needs are. We must hear the voice of the poorest young people of this world in order to know what real poverty is.  And we cannot be at peace if we are not listening and looking for a way to respond. This is the cry that comes to us from the Lord Jesus. I am convinced that Don Bosco today would do everything possible to show great sensitivity to the cry of this world, which is a tough world, as tough as the world of his time.  The starting point is this: a great sensitivity, a great openness in our hearts, and a willingness to act. It is not enough for us as Salesian Family and as a congregation to analyse the situation from an office.  We must always be on the move in all parts of the world. I will never tire of saying this and reminding our Salesian Family of it.

What about your friendship with Pope Francis when you were Provincial and he was Cardinal?

People often ask me this question. But I cannot say that we were great friends. It was like the relationship of any Salesian Provincial with his Bishop. We met during the celebrations and I saw his great sensitivity for the very poor.  He was a great shepherd for our diocese in Argentina. We met together a few times to pray in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in the neighbourhood of Almagro in Buenos Aires. He was always very close to us Salesians but, given his great sensitivity, he was also close to all the others. I thank you for this question because it might seem that I was a great friend of his but this is not the case.

When you knew Cardinal Bergoglio, did you ever think that he would one day be Pope?

I always thought he was a really good Cardinal and I always liked his humble sense as a Good Shepherd. But I never thought of him as Pope. First of all because Pope Benedict XVI was there and no one could foresee his free decision made with great courage and faith, which allowed us to have Pope Francis today. I am very happy with the service of the Pope and I have said so many times: We thank God for Pope Francis, but we also thank Benedict XVI because, as I said, he had this great faith, this great vision of the Church and this great freedom.

Published 18/06/2015