The former General Superior of the Claretian Missionaries, Cardinal Aquilino Bocos, CMF, granted an interview to the Spanish newspaper La Razón on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the pontificate of Pope Francis. In it, he shares his opinion on the pontificate, addresses some current issues of the Church and makes some prognoses for the future.

When asked about the changes in the Church during this pontificate and the style of Pope Francis to carry them out, Cardinal Bocos pointed out that “The reform of the Church that he proposes is quiet and profound. It is enough to read carefully the apostolic constitution ‘Praedicate Evangelium’ which not only updates the structure of the Curia”. However, these changes have generated resistance and criticism, even within the Church itself. Faced with this situation, the Cardinal leaves a message to those most critical of Pope Francis: “I invite those who question his orientations to read the intellectual biography of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, written by Professor Massimo Borghesi, or the works of the journalist Austen Ivereigh.”

In addition, the interview addresses the current situation of the Church and the existing threat to ecclesial communion, where some voices speak directly of a forthcoming schism in the Catholic Church. In this regard, Cardinal Bocos affirmed: “In the journey of the People of God, some go ahead opening a breach and others are in the rearguard. But both belong to the pilgrim Church”.

Finally, the Cardinal was asked how much time he believes Pope Francis has left in his pontificate, to which he replied: “I am not a soothsayer to predict his future. I abide by the statements about his willingness to continue in the service he has assumed in favor of the Church. May the Lord grant him, for many years to come, the help he needs to carry out his objectives in the reform.”

The full interview can be found on the website of the newspaper La Razón in Spanish only.

Source: La Razón