Pope Francis appears as guest on Italian TV talk show for the first time

The head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican state, Pope Francis had his first appearance on a television talk show in his nearly nine-year papacy. The Pape made his appearance on a renowned Italian talk show called Che Tempo Che Fa that airs on Rai state television on Sunday. As per the reports of AP News, since being elected pontiff in March 2013, the Pope has given interviews to Italian and foreign media, but this was his first appearance on a talk show. He had a remote interview from the Vatican.

The Pope discussed a wide range of topics from his friendships to the issue of migration. He reiterated his call for migrants to be accepted and assimilated into society. He stated that every country must say how many migrants it can take and that this is a problem with internal politics. Fabio Fazio, who was the interviewer, asked brought the topic of European fears about Russia's potential invasion of Ukraine, to which the Pope stated that war is always destruction, although he didn't go into detail.

Pope enjoys classical music

In the hour-long conversation, there were also lighter moments as the Pope stated that he enjoys classical music as well as tango numbers when asked about his recent visit to a record store in Rome. Referencing his hometown, Francis said that someone who doesn't dance the tango isn't from Buenos Aires. 

He also remembered thinking about being a butcher when he was a kid since his family's local butcher wore a belt with money in the pockets that moved around, according to AP News. When asked if he feels lonely or if he has friends, Francis responded that he both needs and has friends. He asked people to pray for him and send him happy thoughts. He also stated at the end of his public appearance that he needs the proximity of people.

Not the first time a pope has been on an Italian television talk show

This is not the first time a pope has been on an Italian television talk show, according to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. On October 13, 1998, John Paul II appeared in a Porta a Porta episode which was honouring the 20th anniversary of his pontificate. In the meanwhile, Che tempo Che Fa has gained international headlines in recent months as a result of its celebrity visitors, including former US President Barack Obama.

(inputs from AP News)

Image: AP