### Interview with Former Ambassador to the Holy See Jeong Jong-hu
**Q: What are your memorable moments with the Pope?**
**A:** “It was December 2016. When you start your duty as an ambassador to the Holy See, you present your credentials. At that time, there is an opportunity for a private audience with the Pope. I was allotted 20 minutes. For 10 minutes, he spoke in pre-agreed Italian, and for the remaining 10 minutes, we conversed in German.”
**Q: What did you mainly discuss?**
**A:** “As a diplomat, I can’t disclose everything. We mainly talked about peace on the Korean Peninsula. The Pope showed a great interest, and I felt strongly that he was a ‘messenger of peace.'”
In January of the following year, the Pope delivered his New Year’s address at the Vatican. The Pope also mentioned the North Korean nuclear issue. More than 170 diplomats attended. After delivering the address for 20 minutes, Pope Francis shook hands with each of the ambassadors. “With so many diplomats, each person had about 30 seconds, just a light handshake and greeting. But it was different when it was my turn.”
**Q: How was it different?**
**A:** “The Pope approached me with a big smile and said in German, ‘Danke, Danke, Herzirke Danke!’ which means, ‘Thank you, thank you, heartfelt thanks.’ Other ambassadors around me even asked about it. Typically, he would just shake hands with one hand, but he held my hands with both and thanked me.”
**Q: What is the Pope’s greatest strength?**
**A:** “I think his greatest virtue is ‘courage.’ The Pope doesn’t bow to the powerful and becomes even more humble to the weak. Therefore, his reform towards the powerful and love for the weak always went hand in hand.”
**Q: Can you give an example of the Pope’s courage?**
**A:** “He has the courage to repeal a decision the very next day if he feels it was wrong. That’s not ordinary courage for a Pope. I often mentioned this to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Holy See. I believe Pope Francis’s immense courage moved the world.” Cardinal Parolin is currently considered the top candidate for the next Pope.
**About Jeong Jong-hu**: Born in 1950, he graduated from Chonnam National University’s law school, earned a Doctor of Law degree from Kyoto University in Japan, served as the ambassador to the Holy See, and is a chaired professor at Kkotdongne University.