Bishop-Elect Tony Percy reflects on Pope Francis’ legacy - Sky News YouTube

Transcript:

(00:00) To get some reaction from closer to home, we can speak to Father Tony Percy, a Catholic bishop elect appointed by the late Pope Francis. So, Father Percy, you must be feeling slightly conflicted today as the world bids farewell to the man who has appointed you as bishop. Indeed. Yes.

(00:24) A very evocative, may I say, Alex, a wonderful presentation by Sky presenting to the world a most important event. That was really well done. Yes, a very interesting time. He appointed me a bishop - was announced on the 11th of February, and now he has died, and I'll be ordained just in a few days' time in St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. So yes, mixed emotions for sure.

What did you make of today's events? The events got underway slightly late but then proceeded remarkably smoothly considering how many VIPs were there, the large crowds, the security operation, and of course this rare choice by the late pope to have his coffin taken across town out of the Vatican into Rome itself to a basilica that meant so much to him personally, and it seemed to reflect the man himself in terms of its simplicity and yet its powerful imagery.

I think that's true.

Yes, I think that's very true. It was a beautiful gathering of world leaders, but also of people on the margins and the general faithful praying for his soul to rest in peace and rise in glory because he died during the Easter period, with the hope of resurrection.

(01:37) So, the Catholic liturgy is always filled with a sense of hope. I've been a priest now for 35 years, and one of the most beautiful things you do as a priest is bury people, hear the stories of their life, and then place that story into the story of Christ and celebrate it in the liturgy with some of those most beautiful prayers that you heard. They're very ancient and extremely meaningful for people when they're grieving their time of sorrow. So amidst the sorrow, there's a great sense of hope, and that's very true of that funeral, I think.

And some reactions we've heard are from people not even within the Catholic Church who've been equally moved. Such was the late pope's ability to bring people in, bring parties together. And we've seen those extraordinary still images of Presidents Trump and Zelensky holding an impromptu meeting on a couple of chairs in St. Peter's Basilica. If that somehow leads to peace, how fitting a tribute would it be?

(02:32) Well, I think people have said that the Pope has tried to be a bridge builder. I guess all popes have been in many ways when you look at the recent popes that we've had really from the time of Leo 13th, the first truly modern pope I think. So during the 20th century now into the 21st century we've had a whole series of popes that have tried to maintain the distinction between church and state but at the same time saying there are some fundamental human values that we need to try and get right as a society and one of those certainly is justice which leads to peace at least in terms of human thinking. So that was a beautiful image to see the president of the United States and Zelensky together in that part of St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, which I've been into a few times, and I recognised the floor and knew exactly where they were.

(03:21) So as soon as I saw that image, I thought that's a wonderful thing to happen on the day of the Pope's funeral. Absolutely.

Probably one of the rare times you have a couple of people in there not looking up at the huge atrium, an extraordinary site within that impressive building. And after 12 years in charge, what state do you feel Pope Francis has left the Catholic Church in?

Well, I think that you can look at this in two ways, one as the pontificate began and one as it finished. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Cardinal of New York, gave us an insight into how the papacy started with him accepting the election and then saying his name would be Francis, the first pope to be called Francis. So that meant something.

(04:05) And then, as you may or may not know, they lead the pope into the room of tears where he changes out of his black cassock into the white cassock. They have three cassocks there hanging in that room of tears: a large one, a middle-sized one, and a smaller one, depending on the size of the new pope. So he put that on and out he came and made a beeline for two of the cardinals who elected him who were sitting in wheelchairs and he knelt down in front of them and asked for their blessing. So Dolan said to the assembled crowd that I was part of, he said, "We knew exactly as cardinals what sort of pontificate we were going to have. We're going to have somebody who is going to place a high premium on getting to those in need.

And then just the last few hours, you may or may not have heard this, but the Pope granted out of his will, I think that was the final thing that was in his monies that he had obviously accumulated through inheritance or something, he donated 200,000 euro to a juvenile program in one of the jails in Rome.

(05:05) They needed money to pay down the mortgage which would then help them to to function better in the rehabilitation of young people. So I think those that the the very first act and then almost the last act of his papacy indicates what he's left us and that is a a much greater sensitivity not only to the the presence of Christ in the Eucharist which Catholics hold very very dear but also to what Jesus said.

(05:29) Well I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirst and you gave me a drink. He's given us a new purpose to recognize Christ in the most needy. And that I think is a very important thing and it it sort of is all sort of capsulated within his theme of mercy which is a very very strong theme. And I think that's a very important point that in an increasingly merciless world we we have this importance of being forgiving and merciful to one another and that takes place basically in our daily lives and and everywhere. But I think that's a very important message.

And a really interesting insight. We appreciate you giving it to us, Father Percy. Thank you so much for your time.