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'I have felt used by people': Pope Francis on friendship

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In a radio interview that was broadcast on Sunday, September 13, Pope Francis expressed his feelings toward people who pretended to be his friends when he became a pontiff. He said he "felt used."

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Highlights

By Nikky Andres (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
9/16/2015 (8 years ago)

Published in Marriage & Family

Keywords: Pope Francis, radio interview

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - Radio station Millennium had a phone patch interview with Pope Francis where the pope's old friend, Argentine journalist Marcelo Gallardo, was the host. Gallardo has been the pope's friend since he was still known as Bishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires.
The pope said in the interview, "I never had so many quote-unquote 'friends' as of now. Everyone is the Pope's friend."

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He added, "I have felt used by people who presented themselves as my friends and whom I hadn't seen more once or twice in my life. They have used that to their own benefit. It's an experience we all go through."
Furthermore, Pope Francis saw how other people tried to use their "friendship" to use him. He said, "Friendship in the utilitarian sense--let's see what advantage I can gain by getting close to this person and becoming friends--that pains me."
For the pope, friendship is something sacred, and he thinks having one or two friends is enough, stating, "The Bible says to have one or two friends."
Aside from friendship, Pope Francis discussed religious fundamentalism and the massive destruction of the environment. In reference to fundamentalists, the pontiff said, "Their mission is to destroy in the name of an idea, not a reality. They kill, attack, destroy, malign in the name of an ideological god."
As for environmental destruction, the pope calls for environmental awareness as he mentioned in his encyclical in June.
Pope Francis stated, "We're not friends of creation. Sometimes we treat it like our worst enemy. Think of deforestation, misuse of water, methods of extracting minerals with elements like arsenic and cyanide that end up making people sick."
The radio interview came while Pope Francis prepares for his trips to Cuba and the United States this September 19 -28.

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