In an airborne press conference during his return flight from Bahrain, Pope Francis was asked about the wave of protests taking place in Iran.
He said the fight must continue for women to have equal rights and opportunity universally, and he called female genital mutilation a “criminal act.”
POPE FRANCIS
Women are a gift. God did not create man and then gave him a dog to play with, no. He made two, equals, man and woman.
Women carry their own; they don't have to become like males. No, they are women; we need them. And a society that erases women from public life is a society that impoverishes itself.
Reflecting on his trip to Bahrain, the Pope said he was struck by the insistent calls for dialogue within Islam by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, which he said is rooted in a strong sense of one's own identity.
POPE FRANCIS
To enter into interreligious dialogue or ecumenical dialogue, you need your own identity.
This was a journey of encounter.
Pope Francis then turned his attention to the migration crisis in Europe. He urged EU countries to work together to organize the intake of migrants from Africa, and said that Europe has a responsibility to help develop the continent.
POPE FRANCIS
Every government in the European Union must get on the same page about how many migrants they can receive.
Europe must try to make development plans for Africa.
The Pope also addressed the status of handling cases of abuse, saying that the Church's procedures are now “clear,” and that past cases of abuse are being revised if deemed to not have been properly handled.
JM
