The pope did not rule out mediation in Venezuela but only if both parties request it

ROME.- The

dad Francisco

He spoke today of a possible Vatican mediation

in Venezuela,

but only if both parties to the conflict so request, during the traditional press conference during the flight that brought him back to Rome from
United Arab Emirates.

He did it when he was reminded of the success of the mediation of

John Paul II

between Argentina and Chile to avoid a war on the Beagle border dispute in 1978, and asked if the Holy See was willing to do the same, especially after a request for badistance by the Venezuelan President

Nicolás Maduro

– who sent him a letter – and considering that his number two and three, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State and his replacement, Edgar Peña Parra, Venezuelan, know the situation well.

Francisco pointed out that the mediation of John Paul II between Argentina and Chile was "a brave act that prevented a war," according to Vatican News, the portal of the Holy See. But he stressed that "we must go through small steps" before such an intervention and that "the last is mediation". "There are small steps of facilitator", which gives not only to the Vatican, all the diplomacy, which is the result of the "proximity" between one and the other to work on a possible dialogue .

"I think the secretary of state will be able to explain all the possible steps," he said.

Maduro's letter

On the other hand, he confirmed that before the trip to the United Arab Emirates he had learned that "by the diplomatic courier" he had arrived
a letter from Maduro. "I have not read it yet, we will see what can be done," he added.

And, as he has done on other occasions, he stressed that for mediation, it is necessary that both parties request it. "For mediation, the last step, the will of both parties is necessary, both must ask for it, this was the case of Argentina and Chile," he said. He also mentioned that the Holy See had tried to facilitate the dialogue between the regime and Maduro at the end of 2016, as part of a virtual mediation that had ultimately failed.

"The Holy See took part in the dialogue, beginning with Bishop (Paul Emile) Tscherrig (former nuncio in Argentina) and Monseñor (Claudio Maria) Celli (former Vatican diplomat)," he said. But then the result was a failure, he admitted: "A little mouse gave birth, nothing, nothing but smoke," he traced. "Now, I do not know, I'll wait for the letter and we'll see what can be done," he repeated, insisting that "the initial condition is that both parties wish," hint at Maduro and the Leader of the Opposition and Speaker of the Parliament who proclaimed himself "Interim President,

Juan Guaidó

"It's like when people go to the doctor because there are problems between husband and wife, both parties must want, it's a condition they must want before to ask for facilitation, observation or mediation, "he insisted.

On his return from Panama last week, Francisco also touched on the Venezuelan crisis and avoided pronouncing one way or the other, explaining that it was not his role and that he was not. he feared to make things worse and, above all, to "shed blood".

Abuse in the church

In a 45-minute press conference, in which he was very enthusiastic about the first trip of a pontiff in the Arabian Peninsula, cradle of Islam, Francisco also evoked
to an article in the February issue of the magazine dedicated to women of
The Osservatore Romano, Mujeres Iglesia Mundo, who denounced the scandal of nuns badually abused by priests, who sometimes even force them to abort or to ignore their children.

Beginning on February 21, bishops from around the world will gather around the scandal of badual abuse against children. The Pope was asked if it was to be expected that the Holy See would also act on the front of the maltreated nuns, by preparing protocols they would not arrive anymore.

Francisco admitted that "this is a problem", which encompbades the phenomenon of female abuse and feminicides that are rife in the world. "I would say that humanity is not yet ripe, women are second-clbad, a cultural problem, but the feminicide is reached, there are countries where the abuse of women reaches the feminicide", he lamented.

The truth is that he acknowledged that "in the Church, it is true, it is true also, on the part of the clergy". "In some civilizations, it's not something everyone does, but some priests and bishops have done it and are still doing it," he added. He badured, however, that the Vatican had been working on this scandal for some time, he revealed that he had begun to do so during the pontificate of his predecessor,

Benedict XVI

and that "some priests have been taken away by this."

"I can not say" at home "does not happen." It's true, "he admitted. "Do we have to do even more?" Yes. Do we have the will? Yes, but it's a long-term road, "he said.

"The folklore about Benedict gives him the impression that he's better than a piece of bread, and that's good, well, but it makes him look weak, and he's weak of nothing, it's a strong and consistent man, "he praised. "It's him who started with this problem and I want to go ahead," he concluded, determined.