Pope Francis in St Peter's Square during lockdown

Evgeny Afineevsky has created an extensive and comprehensive documentary of Pope Francis’ papacy since his inauguration on March 13th 2013.  The film allows the world to observe this compassionate and humble man, who first decided he wanted to be a priest and a missionary when he was a very young man.   It follows him as he travels the world trying to help people who are suffering, no matter their religion or ethnicity.

Pope Francis (who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio) acknowledges the pivotal role that his grandmother, Nonna Rosa, played in the development of his faith. When he was only seven, she gave him a book on St Francis of Assisi and the impact of that was to remain with him always, to the point that he chose to bear the name ‘Francis’ on his election by the Papal conclave.

Pope Francis

Nonna Rosa’s home was full of books on philosophy and theology which the young boy devoured. When he was 17 years old, he spontaneously entered a church for confession and it was then that he realized that “something inside me had changed. I felt a call, and I was convinced that I should be a priest.” So it was that five years later, in 1958, he chose to join the Society of Jesus (a Jesuit Order) and was ordained in 1969. He was later to become the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 2001, during one of the most tumultuous periods in Argentine history.

He is the first Pope of many things, the first Jesuit, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first from outside Europe since the Syrian Gregory III, who reigned in the 8th century. But Pope Francis was not happy to stop at that, he is also one of the first to be active in trying to help with all kinds of humanitarian problems in different parts of the world.   Notably he made headlines when he stated that homosexuals have a right to be a part of a family, as he states in the film:

“They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it … What we have to create is a civil union law.”

This statement caused consternation in the Vatican, so much so that they CPD or Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede, that is  at odds on some issues with the team of the Pope, have stated:

“God blesses all people, but God cannot bless sin. In the past, [Pope] Francis has shown support for legal protections for same sex couple within the civil sphere, but he has ruled out same-sex marriage within the Catholic church.”. Pope Francis blessing of a gay couple with their children in July 2015 provoked a later statement from Ciro Benedettini, the Vatican spokesman asserting that the church will not “ endorse behaviours and teachings unfit for the gospel”.

It seems that sinner can be blessed but not sin

The director Evgeny Afineevsky, who earned an Oscar nomination for his 2015 film Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom and was Oscar-shortlisted for 2017’s Cries from Syria, began working on ‘Francesco’ about three years ago.  As 'The Hollywood Reporter’ commented:

“No 2020 documentary has made more headlines than Oscar nominated Evgeny Afineevsky’s ‘Francesco’, a new film about Pope Francis and the people whose lives he has touched.”

Having climate change concerns of his own, Afineevsky could see that Pope Francis has remained one of the few global leaders who ‘addresses the issues from an humane perspective… his humbleness, his simplicity, his direct approach, allowed me to learn a lot and to share it with the audience!”

While Wim Wenders, with his more theologically inspired production, ‘Francis: A Man of his Word’, was actually approached by the Vatican to make the film.  Afineevsky had a harder time, being openly gay, non- Catholic and an outsider. But the Pope was impressed with Afineevsky’s thorough and detailed preparations, having been shadowed by him on his trips to refugee camps, from Bangladesh, to Lesbos and Lampedusa as well as on his trip to Santiago de Chile where he initiated important work with paedophile priests in Chile that had been exposed.  

Pope Francis and Juan Carlos Cruz (a survivor)

The film opens on an extraordinary wide shot of Pope Francis. In his immaculately white robes, walking across the vast space of a totally empty St Peter’s Square, grey and wet from the rain, towards a platform, where one single person awaits, to deliver prayers and thoughts during lockdown.   This moving shot sets the pace the and the mood for a film that, while overly long, still manages to keep your interest, and at times can be very emotional, even for non- believers.

 It is impressive to see the extent of knowledge that Pope Francis displays on almost every subject and certainly in all that relate to the human condition.  Be they climate change, mass migration, pollution, human-made or natural disasters.  He believes that climate change has played a part in some of these crises.   He often quotes from the writings of St Francis of Assisi, which appear startlingly relevant to the situation that we are all living in today:

“Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs.  This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she “groans in travail” (Rom 8:22). We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.”

This still resonates in the world as if not a day had gone by.  Pope Francis is very aware of this:

“I believe that Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically. He is the patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology, and he is also much loved by non-Christians.”

He has published writings on the subjects that most concern him in a book called Laudato Si’ St Francis of Assisi, on care for our common Home. It makes for fascinating reading. (available free online ). You do not need to be a religious person to appreciate the value of these writings. He touches on all the imaginable subjects that can affect humankind, listing them all in turn.  From climate change and pollution to housing and political arrogance and the wanton neglect of our environment. He does not forget to chastise the weak responses that many of that very same humankind, have given, or rather not given, to the crises that have arisen. 

 Afineevsky filmed the Pope on his travels around the world.  These trips are all the more significant for Pope Francis, as following a severe pulmonary illness while he was still studying as a young man, he was told he could never become the missionary he had always dreamed of, as they considered he had fragile health.   At one point, he was sent to a remote parish instead, which was a source of deep suffering for him and he went through a hard period of self- analysis that he now believes has helped him through all his future travails.  The papal conclave chose Francis, being very aware of the power of his warm and friendly personality.  In these times of difficulties and an extensive loss of faith in many parts of the world, they were looking for an approachable person who could communicate with ease, relate to all kinds of people, and in particular, they wanted a person who could build bridges.

Director Evgeny Afineevsky and Pope Francis

They chose well.  Those who dabble in astrology can see that, as a Sagittarius with a strong aspect to Jupiter, he would have a good sense of humour, coupled  with a ‘vision’ with which to see the wider world. Adding to that, he has his Moon in Aquarius, which indicates of a free-spirited individual with deep concerns for the fate of humanity, who is not afraid of change or the need to challenge some out-dated traditions.

Unlike the Popes before him, Pope Francis has, significantly, chosen not to reside in the luxurious Papal Apartments in the Apostolic Palace, but instead to live in the Domus Sanctae Marthae Guesthouse (named after Martha of Bethany). Normally just called ‘Casa Santa Marta’, this building is adjacent to St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City. It was built in 1996 and functions as a guest house for clergy visiting the Holy See. There was some controversy about the construction, as it blocks the view of St Peter’s Basilica previously enjoyed by neighbouring apartments.

Having been born into a family of Italian immigrants who had fled to Argentina during Mussolini’s reign, the troubles faced by people in these conditions are especially close to Pope Francis’ heart. He has therefore, made a point of visiting refugee camps, in Lampedusa, Lesbos and Bangladesh and has taken the time to meet the refugees. He actually rescued three Syrian Muslim families from the Mòria Refugee camp and flew them back to Rome in his private jet, where he arranged for them to be assisted and helped to find work as they integrated into Italian society. Nour, a young girl from one of the three rescued families was profoundly moved by the experience, finding it hard to believe the extent of the Pope’s compassion, noting that: -

“No Arabic or Muslim leader in the Arabic world has raised a finger to help the refugees.”

For Pope Frances, the journeys to Lesbos and Lampedusa were nevertheless marked by sadness, as he remembered the many who had died in the dangerous crossings of the Mediterranean in unsuitable boats.  These scenes are extremely emotional.  Afineevsky’s film conveys the pain and despair of the survivors and refugees, that are so predominantly young, living with minimal facilities, as their children offer up their drawings to the Pope, showing images of their siblings as they drowned, as well as co-refugees.

Evgeny Afineevsky and Syrian revolutionay icon, Abdul Baset Al-Sarout (Cries from Syria)

Pope Francis was also involved in the role of the church with regard to allegations of sexual abuse by Father Fernando Karadima in Santiago de Chile and the alleged cover up by Bishop Barrios.  The issue has just come to light when the Pope visited Chile for the first time in 2018. He was assured by the local Catholic church at the time, that there was no evidence to support the allegations. However, later revelations reached him that made him crucially change his mind and enlist Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Archbishop of Malta , who has a reputation of being the most efficient church investigator, to examine the evidence.

The investigation resulted in the removal of nine Chilean Bishops, after having obliged them all to go to the Vatican for a thorough interrogation. It is notable that this was the first Pope who faced these problems head on, dealing with them openly, rather than brushing them under the carpet.  The victims, the three young survivors who were brave enough to come forward, were deeply moved at finally being believed. The concrete results were that Pope Francis issued a ground-breaking law requiring Priests and Nuns to report any sexual abuse cover-ups.

Pope Francis congratulates Hermana Norma for her work with children on the US/Mexican border

The accomplishments of Pope Francis are many, they include having meetings on an informal level with Rabbis and Imams, and leaders of different faiths. Significantly he was the only leader in 2015 to speak out about the Armenian genocide of 1915 at the hands of the Turkish government. It had consequences, as Turkey recalled its ambassador to the Vatican City, but Pope Francis is not one to back away.  He believes in action, not empty words. He is the 'bridge maker', he does not believe you can defend a territory with a wall, only with a bridge: “He who builds walls ends up being the prisoner inside the walls he has constructed.”

“Today we cry…  [we must] pass from indifference and fear to the acceptance of the other, because that other could be you or I”

In time for Easter, from March 28th 2021,  ‘FRANCESCO’ will be available from DISCOVERY + , following an opening in virtual cinema /

Official trailer

https://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3630678297?playlistId=tt12356510&ref_…

FRANCESCO 2020

Director              Evgeny Afineevsky

Producers          Evgeny Afineevsky / Den Tolmor, Eric Esrailian and Teri Scwartz.

DOP                   Evgeny Afineevsky and Teodora Totoiu

Editor                  Dan Swietlik

Cast                    Pope Francis, Pope Bendict XVI, José Ignacio Bergoglio (Nephew), Charles Sciclina. Sheikh Hasina Greta Thunberg,                                 Juan Carlos Cruz (victim).