Well that took long enough. The infamous Scalfari interview has been removed from the Vatican website.
Go here to read the rest. Hmmm, questions were raised immediately about the veracity of portions of the interview from the moment of its release, yet it up it went on the Vatican website. Then it stayed there for a month and a half. Why was it put up? Why was it taken down?
“Why was it put up?”
To show the Pope’s outreach and open-mindedness and tolerance and embrace of diversity of opinion.
“Why was it taken down?”
Because it is an embarrassment due to the unorthodoxy that appears in the Pope’s alleged remarks.
I do not think this Pope is detail-oriented. Further, I don’t attribute any deliberate intent on his part to be unorthodox. But he just doesn’t carefully weigh his words when speaking to an atheist, a secularist, a liberal. Both JP II and B XVI were detail-oriented. True, both made mistakes from time to time. But Francis’ mistakes are more blatant and frequent, and almost always seized on by the main stream media as confirmation of imagined Church permission for the modern life style of hedonism and paganism. I cannot believe that the Pope intends that, especially given many of his other remarks about Satan.
I’ve been pondering this point since Sunday.
Might it not be that His Holiness takes Luke 21 and Mark 13 literally and is simply not worrying about how what he says as Pope will be interpreted.
I have read that he was much more closed and careful before he became pope. Perhaps he is simply trusting that God will inspire? Given the effect his words have had on fallen-away Catholics that I know – people who are far less concerned with the actual text than the general themes of mercy, welcome, and clerical service, perhaps it is my lack of faith that is making me worry too much.
I agree! His Holiness needs to mark his words much more carefully. As I always felt about Mary Magdalene. Jesus said,” go and sin no more.” He forgave instantly but the point was made implicitly. He didn’t jump into bed with her. and that all seemed to turn out well. She was the first at the tomb with the other women. If it was ok for Jesus to call a spade a spade then it would be well for the Holy Father to do the same. Give em and inch and they take a mile.
First, it is about time that this interview was taken down from the Vatican web site. At first, I thought it was simply the translation that was faulty. While this also was the case, the problem with this ” interview” goes much deeper. The Italian editor ego had the interview with Pope Francis, had no paper or computer to take notes, nor did he have any recording device. That alone should send up flags ( so that I am clear, my ‘ irritation’ is with the Curia-understood in the widest understanding of the word). Further, the man is an atheist- which means he cannot really understand the theological import of his own questions never mind the responses of the Pope.
There is no question in my mind that the pope was experiencing the euphoria of ” the honeymoon” ( on this level, not something unique to newlyweds-it is a common phenomenon). I believe also that he wanted to communicate ” the vision” of the Church and his ministry (here I am not speaking as if this vision was not consistent with Church teaching: Pope Francis is orthodox, a son of the Church, accepting of her teaching-I am speaking of his particular emphasis). However, those within the necessary but very frequently problematic bureaucracy called the Curia, who know the lay of the land in Rome and Italy, have revealed a new level of incompetency. We have all heard by now of Pope Francis’ complaint to the editor of Osservatore Romano for publishing the interview. We can thank the new Secretary of State, a seasoned diplomat in the school of Cardinal Casaroli ( certainly a great Sec of State of the Vatican)
Our Holy Father has slowly revealed how he will work in the future. He sees his ministry in the ancient understanding of the Petrine Ministry: Peter’s primary mission is that of being the visible sign of and instrument of unity- communion in and of the Church. This reveals why he emphasizes mercy so much. The foundation of unity is reconciliation, as Christ said, “When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to Myself”
In John 21, Our Lord asked Peter if he loved Him more than even the other apostles. The Petrine Ministry must embody this love-yes even to speaking an unpopular word of the truth. However, the word he speaks is the word of the Gospel of Christ, this is the Truth, but the Truth with Love.
Pope Francis, much like Blessed John Paul, has the head of the Congregation of the Faith, archbishop Mueller, a Benedict appointment, dealing with strictly theological issues, and giving theological foundations for approaching issues ( as we have just seen on the issue of divorce and remarriage) although a little early to get the full picture, I believe the new Secretary of State will be another key figure, certainly with the public, international face of the Church, but perhaps with even more responsibility. His taking down this crazy interview might be a sign of what is to come
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