(ANS - Rome) - He would have had an excellent chance to successfully pursue studies in medicine at university, with a scholarship already prepared for the occasion. Instead - at the end of his Higher Secondary studies - he felt the religious call, to become a Salesian... with assignments of increasing responsibility, until 2014, when he was chosen as the 10th successor of Don Bosco, one of the most beloved of saints. Today, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime is also a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church.

In his greeting at his first Mass as Cardinal Fr Stefano Martoglio, his vicar, first of all, referred to your family.

I am one of those people for whom roots are very important. And in my roots is a great love for my family. With my parents, already in Paradise, with my mother only dying three months ago. My origins were being the child of a fisherman, being born and raised in a small fishing village, until I was thirteen, I would go with fishing with my Dad in the summer months.

Fr Martoglio also pointed out 'Son of Don Bosco by vocation'...

I had not met the Salesians before I went to a Salesian School. My father met a tourist that was visiting, and over time, they developed a strong friendship. One day, this tourist asked what my father thought about my future. My Dad replied that I would probably be a fisherman like him. However, the tourist pointed out that I was smart, and that she knew some religious people who were involved in educating young people. My parents objected, saying that it would be too expensive, and they wouldn't be able to afford it. But she reassured them: 'You will see that it will not be expensive! So, I moved out, about 200 kilometres away, to study with the Salesians.

And then, at the end of middle school, what happened?

By the end, I was well prepared to join the School of Medicine. Being in Medicine felt like a vocation. I actually think I would have been a good family doctor. But at the same time, I also felt the need to have some clarity. I had enjoyed my time with the Salesians very much. The previous summer at the seaside, I shared my thoughts with my parents about wanting to become a Salesian religious. The told me: 'Son, this is your life. If it will make you happy, then go. Don't worry about us!'

With the tourist convincing my parents to send me to a Salesian school, and then my parents saying yes to me joining the Salesian religion; These were the two moments that I can only believe that God was calling me to his service from birth.

Let's talk about your coat of arms...

In the first section, is the figure of Jesus the Good Shepherd, which is very dear to us Salesians. The Good Shepherd embodies the DNA of a Salesian. In the second section, is the monogram MA, Mary Help of Christians. Like Don Bosco, we Salesians always ask for her protection. In the third section, we see the anchor, which for me has a double meaning: on the one hand is stands in the Salesian shield and wants to signify the hope and solidity that all Salesians must possess; and on the other hand, the anchor refers to my roots as a fisherman, to my family and to my village.

The coat of arms also bears a motto: Sufficit tibi gratia mea...

That was a personal choice, because it expresses how I feel, and how I have felt all of my life so far. As a Salesian, I have lived a way that I might not have chosen; as Provincial for a few years in Argentina, and then as Rector Major. Now I live the cardinalate in obedience to the decision of the Holy Father. As the Lord said to St. Paul: 'My grace is sufficient for you'.

Exactly, and in the period in Argentina from 2009 to 2013...

Of course, I got to know Pope Francis as Cardinal Archbishop when we were in Buenos Aires between 2009-2013, when I was the Provincial of the South Argentina Province. As with many others, priests and religious, including many other provincials, I had a friendly relationship with the then, Archbishop of Buenos Aires. For me, it was always nice to welcome him every 24^th of May, when he would visit the Basilica of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in the Almagro district. It was always special for him, as his parents had lived in that area, and that was the church in which he was baptised.

As a Provincial, I have been to Africa many times, Senegal being somewhere I remember fondly. What was and remains our intention?
To give the young people a proper education, to be able to give each one of them a box with the equipment to be able to work, so that it's possible for them to lead a dignified life, to earn money, stay in touch with their families. We have been doing it, and we continue to do it. In fact, there are many who have not emigrated, thanks to us – and to the many others who work like us.

However, if we go to a general African level, the situation is different...

The development of many African states must be helped more incisively. The investments made by the EU, for example, by giving streams of money to build structures to curb immigration (or in other words, migrant camps), are doomed to fail. This is because the migrants that are housed in these structures, will eventually leave, given the predictable living conditions in the camp. But on the other hand, the EU should look more carefully and more seriously at investing in the vocational training of young people and financing the network of those who already work in that field (And it's not just us, it is many institutions!). In my opinion, this is an investment that would bear a lot of fruit!

Let us turn to the condition of young Europeans: their everyday life is very different from that of many African peers, but the problems they face are also complex and even dramatic.

In order to have a complete picture of the complex condition of the European youth of today, which can often lead to their loss of faith, one essential element must be added: we have to deal with the young people that are fragile! Generally, they are much better educated than the previous generations, or at least potentially competent. They speak more languages, and know how to move on. They are flexible thanks to the use of newer more valuable tools of knowledge. And yet this generation of young people are carrying a boulder on their shoulders: their own future.

Indeed, how can they plan their lives if many live in uncertainty?

According to recent surveys, Spain and Italy have an average age of leaving their family home between 28.5 and 32. But at 32, they are men and women, and aren't classified as young people. They still live with their parents, because they have no way of building a life outside of their family. Of course, it is not only a question of work, but also of the meaning of life. Sometimes, you have to make choices, but if the future is not certain, then those choices are often postponed, and the consequence is that young people's sense of motherhood and fatherhood, for example, is fading.

And on the subject of war...

This issue worries me. I think like Pope Francis, and others who share their thoughts; we are living in a new World War, but it is in pieces. In my experience, I believe that no war makes sense.

In public debate, it is often observed that not all wars are equal...

Again, no war makes sense. One can argue about the faults of one side or the other, who started it and who reacted to it, about how atrocious it is, but the fundamental question is: How many people have died because of it? How many Ukrainians and Russians have died because of the conflict. In the Holy Land with Hamas' terrorism and Israel's response. How many have died? Thousands and thousands. But I believe, that even one life is sacred.

Realistically, can one hold out hope that one day swords will be broken to make ploughs?

I realise that everything that we do in investing for peace will never be enough. Again I say that I am hurt by the absence of a firmer, more determined, stronger action for peace on the part of so many governments, superpowers and on the part of international bodies. And on the spread of terrorism; we Salesians suffer primarily in Africa, with many victims. I can only keep saying, that terrorism has no justification. None. We must invest much more, not in armaments, but in giving everyone the chance to live with dignity in their countries of origin, in Africa, and around the world. Otherwise, the issue of migration will multiply, as will the human dramas that are often associated with it. There is no time to lose. We shouldn't be investing in missiles, but instead in the education and professional training of young people, especially where they are being prevented from planning a future of stability.

Source: https://www.rossoporpora.org/rubriche/interviste-a-cardinali/1160-neo-cardinali-a-colloquio-con-angel-fernandez-artime-salesiano.html

Image ©ANS/Vatican Media