#BreakingNews Pope Francis in New Interview Reveals Female to Head Vatican Governorate and Hopes for 2-State Solution Post Ceasefire

Pope Francis was interviewed by Fabio Fazio for the Italian TV channel Nove's Che tempo che fa which aired on January 19th. In it he revealed that Sister Raffaella Petrini will be appointed in March to head the Governorate of Vatican City State. He also addressed about possibility of the new Trump administration's plans for deporting migrants: If this happens, it would be a disgrace; the poorest should not be made to pay for the imbalances of society.
Sister Raffaella Petrini, currently Secretary General, will head the Governatorate of the Vatican City State starting in March. The appointment will follow the retirement of Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga from his role as President of the Governorate.
He also expressed joy at the ceasefire in Gaza, and his hope for a two-State solution.
The Pope discussed welcoming migrants, the ongoing Jubilee, his decision to open a Holy Door in a prison in Rome, efforts to combat abuse, and his personal health.
In Sunday’s hour-long conversation the pope spoke about his autobiography, Hope, curated by journalist Carlo Musso, published by Mondadori, and available in 100 countries.
He described the work of writing his autobiography as “very delicate,” comprising numerous stories that "convey a sense of who I am."
Pope Francis spoke of his fall and bruising of  his arm on Thursday, saying, “It’s moving better.”

This marks another significant appointment of a woman to a prominent role, following Sr. Simona Brambilla’s appointment as Prefect of the Dicastery for Consecrated Life.
“The work of women in the Curia has progressed slowly but effectively. Now, we have many,” the Pope noted.
Listing roles assigned to women in the Vatican, he added: “At the Governatorate, the Secretary General, who will become President in March, is a nun... Women manage better than we do,” he remarked.
Pope Francis responded to rumors of a potential mass deportation plan for migrants following President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The Pope described such an eventuality “a disgrace,” because “it makes the poor who have nothing pay the price for imbalance”.
On the topic of migration, Pope Francis reiterated the “four verbs” to address the emergency. “Migrants must be welcomed, accompanied, promoted, and integrated.”
He mentioned his concern over declining birthrates, citing Italy’s average age of “46 years.”
“If you don’t have children, you have to let migrants in,” he said.
Two-State solution and the importance of peace
The Pope also addressed the war in the Middle East, noting the start of the ceasefire on Sunday in Gaza and the release of three women held hostage by Hamas.
As he did at the Angelus earlier in the day, he expressed gratitude to those who negotiated the ceasefire, saying, “They are good.”
He then discussed the two-State solution. “I believe it is the only solution. Some are willing, others are not,” he noted, adding that “peace is greater than war.”
The Pope emphasized the courage required to pursue peace, noting that “sometimes you lose something, but you gain much more.”
War, he insisted, is instead always “a defeat,” and he reiterated the importance of negotiations and condemning the “immense” profits of arms manufacturers who fuel “destruction.”
Pope Francis went on to speak of hope, the central theme of the Jubilee, calling hope “the anchor on the shore” to cling to, echoing the imagery from his homily at the opening of the Holy Door at Rome’s Rebibbia prison.
He explained that he made this unprecedented gesture “because I always carry prisoners in my heart,” adding his appeal: “Do not forget prisoners; many outside are more guilty than they are.”
Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, the Pope expressed “a sense of pity and shame” for the tragedy.
He recalled his visit to Auschwitz in 2016, which he was able to experience firsthand through stories, films, and the testimony of “the great lady” Edith Bruck, the 92-year-old Hungarian poet and Holocaust survivor.
The interview also covered other topics, including abuse, which the Pope described as “a very great evil” against which we must “fight forcefully.”
He also talked about the challenges of young people who must be “accompanied” and the importance of being close to “everyone, everyone, everyone,” without an “angelicality” regarding sins or focusing excessively on sins of the flesh.
“It disgusts me when some in Confession always seek those,” said the Pope. “There is no sin that cannot be forgiven; none. Because God wants everyone with Him, as His children, as brothers and sisters among ourselves.”
Finally, Pope Francis shared humorous anecdotes, such as his “first stumble” on a step in the Sistine Chapel, right after his election, as he went to greet a cardinal in a wheelchair. “The infallible Pope started with a fallible step: he tripped!”
As the interview concluded, the Pope issued a request for the Holy Year. “Do not let this opportunity pass by,” he said. “Strive forward courageously. And never lose your sense of humor.”

Edited from Vatican News