This morning, shortly after 9 a.m., the Pope made a telephone call to an Italian morning television show, TG1 Rai 1 “Unomattina”, to offer his congratulations on the thirtieth anniversary of its transmission. The following is a transcript of the Holy Father’s words during the call.
Presenter: Your Holiness?
Pope Francis: Good morning.
Presenter: Good morning, thank you.
Pope Francis: I am told that for you, at ‘Unomattino’, it is an important date: you celebrate thirty years of broadcasting.
Presenter: It’s true…
Pope Francis: I wish to congratulate you, with the authors of the programme, the presenters, the journalists, the directors, the technicians, the workers… in short, all of you who cooperate in realizing this very popular broadcast. I know that today the Directors of Tg1 and Rai1 are also present: a greeting to them, and enjoy your work!
Presenter: Thank you, Your Holiness. We, along with all our journalists, directors and technicians, would also like to convey our best wishes to you for your eightieth birthday. And so we are preparing a little surprise for you. Here it is…
Pope Francis: Let’s see what the little surprise is … [a montage on Pope Francis]
Presenter: Your Holiness, are you still there?
Pope Francis: Yes, yes, and thank you for the surprise.
Presenter: We would like to thank you, and given that in a few days it will be Christmas, we would like to know if…
Presenter: … in the meantime, best wishes for Christmas! Happy Christmas, Your Holiness!
Presenter: … if you would like to leave a message for those who are watching at home: there are many elderly and sick people among them.
Pope Francis: Yes. I wish you a Christian Christmas, like the first, when God wanted to upturn the values of the world, and made Himself small, in a stable, with the little ones, the poor, the marginalized … smallness. In this world where the god money is so adored, may Christmas help us to look to the smallness of this God who upturned worldly values.
I wish you a Holy Christmas, and a merry one: a holy and a merry Christmas. A warm embrace to you all.
Presenters: Thank you, Your Holiness. Happy Christmas!
Pope Francis: Happy Christmas!
