A MAN OF HIS WORD- POPE FRANCIS: "We have so much to do- let's do it together." 

When I went to see this film, there were only four people in the theater with us (I went with my wife). I enjoyed it because there was no noise, no cell phones, and it was like sitting in front of the Pope and listening to him speak. Francis stressed the importance of kindness, humility, compassion, solidarity with the poor and the environment- and how we are abusing the earth. But most of ALL the necessity to stay away from the fast and noise paced life- so that we can listen to the voice of God. And in order to do that, Francis said that we need slow down, and we need to look at people in the eyes when we talk and listen to them.
A man of His Word is truly a blessing for all those who care deeply and want to do something positive, and/or need a charge in the social/environmental arenas. I saw this documentary film last week. I found it to be enlightening and refreshing- a close and personal portrait of Pope Francis. A man who is enthusiast about the future, as you can read in the title, pope Francis uses that sentence to close the film. Francis talks with humility, friendliness and semplicity, so whan at the end of the film he said: "We have so much to do- let's do it together."  
I walked away recharged, refreshed, motivated and encouraged to work with him on building a better future for the poor and mother Earth. That is another reason why I really enjoyed this documentary- his interest for the poor and the environment.  

I have followed  this pope with much more interest than any other popes because my interests and his (Francis') converge- are very similar; we both care for the poor and our planet. Then Francis humble and simple ways have always attracted me- he is truly a man of his word- he practices what he preaches! I've always loved his humility, simplicity, charisma and happy/relaxed attitude. And last, but not least, my interest in social and environmental causes have also drawn me closer to him.

I'm a father of two children (in their 20s), and, like pope Francis and many others, I am also concerned to about mother Earth, and especially of the level of plastic pollution in our oceans. 

I needed to see this film because it gave me hope and strength in working for the protection of our planet and in particular the health of our oceans- which is been one of my concerns since 2016. The pope is one of my heroes in this field because he cares for our planet, in fact he published the first ever encyclical on the environment. Here are a few statements about his concern/care for our planet.

“God always forgives, we men forgive sometimes, but nature never forgives. If you give her a slap, she will give you one. I believe that we have exploited nature too much.”—Press conference, flight from Sri Lanka to the Philippines, January 15, 2015

“As stewards of God’s creation, we are called to make the earth a beautiful garden for the human family. When we destroy our forests, ravage our soil and pollute our seas, we betray that noble calling.” —Speech, Manila, Philippines, January 18, 2015

“A Christian who doesn’t safeguard creation, who doesn’t make it flourish, is a Christian who isn’t concerned with God’s work, that work born of God’s love for us.”—Meditation, Vatican City, February 9, 2015

“May the relationship between man and nature not be driven by greed, to manipulate and exploit, but may the divine harmony between beings and creation be conserved in the logic of respect and care.”—General audience, Vatican City, April 22, 2015

“The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth. In many parts of the planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful landscapes are now covered with rubbish.”
 —Papal encyclical, Vatican City, May 24, 2015 

"We received this world as an inheritance from past generations, but also as a loan from future generations, to whom we will have to return it!”—Remarks, meeting with political, business and community leaders, Quito, Ecuador, July 7, 2015

“Our common home is being pillaged, laid waste and harmed with impunity. Cowardice in defending it is a grave sin.”—Speech, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, July 9, 2015

Source: Nature Never Forgives: 7 of Pope Francis's Greenest Quotes https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/120150920-pope-francis-environment-climate-quotes/

Since 2016 I have been learning about the plight of our oceans- how we are being careless and filling it with our plastic trash. June 8th is World Ocean Day. Why do people celebrate it? This is what the official online site says: "We celebrate World Oceans Day to remind everyone of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe. The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans. They are a major source of food and medicines and a critical part of the biosphere. In the end, it is a day to celebrate together the beauty, the wealth and the promise of the ocean. For more information and to register your school for World Ocean day activities, visit/click on the link for the United nations World Ocean Day official site: 

http://www.un.org/en/events/oceansday/

I was glad I saw this film and I liked so much that I plan to see it over and over, especially when i need hope and energy to carry on with my social/environmental causes and to live as better Catholic. Thank you holy father for your kindness, humility and simplicity. You truly are our modern day San Francis of Assisi!
 
"Wenders follows the Pope as he travels the globe giving speeches, meeting the poor, and greeting them as cordially as he did Wenders’ crew each time he sat down for a total of four interviews over four years. Pope Francis addresses the camera, in Spanish. Wenders sent his questions to the Vatican, but got no comment. “The pope never hesitated to answer any of them with the same frankness, the same spontaneity,” he said,. “He was very present, to have a man who didn’t have a phone, who didn’t look at an assistant or anybody, he was just all there in front of the camera, and answered the question, eye to eye, face to face.”

The Vatican TV Center has released a trailer for “Pope Francis – A Man of His Word,” the documentary directed by Wim Wenders. There is now speculation that the film could also launch from the Cannes Film Festival.
German auteur Wenders, the maker of “Wings of Desire” and documentaries such as “Buena Vista Social Club” and “Pina,” was given unprecedented access to the Pope over a two-year period for “A Man of His Word.” Wenders was also able to use exclusive footage from the Vatican TV archives of Francis on his world travels.
The documentary revolves around a long dialogue with the pontiff, who answers questions “about the main global challenges of the contemporary world: death, social justice, immigration, ecology, inequality, materialism, and the role of the family,” according to a Vatican TV Center statement.

Source: Vatican Releases Wim Wenders’ Pope Francis Documentary Trailer (Watch the video trailer)

 http://variety.com/2018/film/festivals/vatican-releases-wim-wenders-pope-francis-doc-watch