(ZENIT News / Ajaccio, 16.08.2025) – From June 27-29, 2025, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo was commissioned by Pope Leo XIV to preside over the closing ceremony of the 350th anniversary of the apparitions of the Sacred Heart in Paray-le-Monial, France. Zenit met with him on this occasion.
ZENIT: You presided over the closing ceremony of the Jubilee of the Apparitions in Paray-le-Monial. Why is devotion to the Sacred Heart important for today’s world?
Cardinal Bustillo: The Sacred Heart of Jesus is an open Heart. It is the seat of life, of affection. And this makes me think of all the current signs of fear and closure in our society. Our world is very fractured, divided. Personally, I ask myself: what have we done to fraternity?
If brotherhood is limited to tactics, strategies, and the management of social problems, it is a failure; it must be built from the heart. If we are not happy and reconciled, we cannot live in peace. And society will always be tense. Therefore, it is important that we have a heart, that we reconcile, and that we repair our relationships.
In the Feast of the Sacred Heart, some may see a touch of devotion, but Pope Francis left us the Encyclical Dilexit Nos. He told us that we cannot all be brothers if we do not begin with the heart, that is, with what is essential, with our interiority.
ZENIT: You yourself are a man of contact and brotherhood. You maintain very positive relations, particularly with the French government . . .
Cardinal Bustillo: Beyond my own experience, we live in an extremely complex social situation in France. And when such complexity exists, we cannot delegate the management of a country solely to the political and economic authorities.
Of course, those in charge have been elected, but they must also be consistent. I believe that if we have good contacts with the authorities, it is because we live in an era in which society needs all its strengths, not only political and financial, but also spiritual, philosophical, athletic, associative, and cultural.
In times of crisis, we must work together so that each of us, using our own ingenuity and without confusion, contributes the best of ourselves to the good of society. When you have responsibilities, you can’t simply watch the world crumble. You can’t just be a spectator, nor complain and criticize everything that is wrong or unjust. You have to be an actor.
ZENIT: You have been Bishop of Ajaccio for four years. What is the situation of your diocese, its joys, and its challenges?
Cardinal Bustillo: I found a welcoming Catholic community, and although not all are 100% practicing, there is respect and an open attitude toward the Church. What I discovered in Corsica made me very happy because, unlike other regions of Europe, there is no ideological hostility toward religion. Therefore, there is an interesting collaboration with the Island’s political, economic, cultural, and community leaders.
The Church is fortunate to receive much. Being accepted also honours her. As a Bishop, I feel accompanied, honoured, and respected: it is an opportunity not only to discover other realities, but also to bring our way of life to the whole of society. In Corsica, popular piety has existed for centuries, so it is lived naturally. It reflects the simplicity and closeness of the Church. It is important that we recover this dimension of faith, because not everyone is the same. Some react more with their heads and intellect, others with their human side, with their hearts. It is up to us, then, to evangelize, to accompany this process by contributing spiritual and theological elements.
As for challenges, I would say there is too much violence and murder. The Church has her place in the effort to achieve peace. I also see another difficulty in Corsica: that of young people, who experience serious problems of stability and drug use. It is important that young people find a powerful ideal that motivates them.
ZENIT: As a Cardinal, how did you experience the Conclave and the election of Pope Leo XIV?
Cardinal Bustillo: I experienced it with great serenity and responsibility, and I admired this election, received with faith and confidence. There were 133 of us Cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel, and we were thinking especially of those who were outside, waiting and deserving of a good part. This Chapel was transformed into a delivery room, where a new Pope was born. It was an extremely moving moment.
Pope Leo XIV said yes, and I deeply admire his willingness and courage. I was created a Cardinal on the same day as him! I consider him a discreet and determined man, who does a lot of good for the Church. But I also feel great compassion for him, because it is an ascetic and demanding task.
In a family, children argue and complicate things for each other. Imagine with a family of 1.4 billion people! These elections are a beautiful sign of the maturity of the Catholic Church. Today, politicians must present a program, defend it, and fight it, and sometimes it doesn’t work. Here, without a program, without anything, Pope Leo XIV was welcomed with trust and hope.
ZENIT: Personally, you joined the Franciscans at an early age. Why this particular spirituality, and what does it bring to your life as a Bishop and Cardinal?
Cardinal Bustillo: I was drawn to the figure of Saint Francis of Assisi, his way of embodying the evangelical ideal and speaking of fraternity. His mission was to humanize the Church, giving her a way of being without judgment. His spirit of peace and reconciliation continues today. And his way of acting, with simplicity and perseverance, created a truly civilized society.
Today I am a Bishop and Cardinal, and I am grateful to my Franciscan brothers, because I received everything from them: my formation, their support, their trust when I had responsibilities. And my duty is to pass on what I have received, to give others this heritage so important for today’s society.
ZENIT: Basically, what has changed in your life in regard to the title of «Cardinal»?
Cardinal Bustillo: We often see the prestige of a Cardinal, but it is above all a responsibility of communion. As Bishop and Cardinal, I must navigate between the local and the universal. My first responsibility is to be Bishop of Ajaccio, in Corsica. But I am also a Cardinal of the Catholic Church, and wherever I am sent, I try to bring the closeness and presence of the Holy Father to encourage the local Churches.
In the case of Paray-le-Monial, on the occasion of the closing of the Jubilee of the Apparitions of the Sacred Heart, or in Alençon, in mid-July, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Canonization of Louis and Zelie Martin. When we see our world torn apart, as members of the Church, we must remain united and be agents of communion. For my part, this is materialized through my presence in my diocese, but also wherever I am invited as Cardinal, to bring unity and closeness to the Pope.
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