Pope Francis gave a detailed interview tonight to the Italian television channel “Nove”.

“The Lord tells the confessors that they must forgive. Since I became a priest, I have only once refused absolution because of the hypocrisy of that particular person. I always wanted to forgive sins, even if I knew that someone could sin again,” the pope emphasized. “The most necessary reform, for all Christians, is that of the heart, for all Christians and it requires daily effort,” he added.

Francis, when asked about it, replied that “the choice to resign is a possibility but, for now, he is not thinking about it because as long as he can, he will continue to serve the Lord”.

The pontiff reiterated his great concern about the wars in Ukraine, in the Middle East and in so many other regions of the world. “War is a selfish choice, while peace means deciding to give, to lend a hand. The disasters are caused by the arms trade, we must say it clearly. In this phase, the most profitable investments are those in commercial industries. Investments aimed at the death of our fellow man,” Francis said.

The Church welcomes everyone into its home. When we start choosing, the problems begin. The Lord gives his wish to everyone, to everyone who can be baptized. Afterwards, we must meditate on the path that the Lord suggests to us”, emphasized the Argentinian Pope.

With reference to immigration, he underlined: “many immigrants are treated terribly by the mafias. As in Libya, where ransoms are often demanded to release migrants. In Europe, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain and Malta accept the most immigrants. Please don’t close your doors. In some of these countries there is low birth rate, there are deserted villages. We need to take immigration out of the hands of the mobs and take it into our own hands. Living in one’s home is a right, but it is also a right to emigrate.”

“I ask the believers to pray for me, because I am also a sinner and I need God’s help to serve him. I know my vulnerabilities, so I ask you to pray for me, so that I don’t become a mediocre shepherd, but I can stay in touch with my flock,” explained the Latin American pope.

Speaking to the TV channel Nove, he also stated that he is “concerned about Argentina, where the world is suffering a lot” and that “in the second half of this year, he may visit his country”.

“The tenderness of the children and the contact with the grandparents makes me smile. What I fear more than anything else is the culmination of war and the possibility of humanity’s self-destruction,” Francis said. And he revealed, finally, that “he likes to think that hell is empty” although “it is not a religious doctrine, but only a personal thought”.