Posted on 09/30/2015 11:03:54 AM PDT by NYer
Comments made on plane will increase tension ahead of Year of Mercy
Pope Francis criticised the mayor of Rome during an in-flight press conference on the way home from America, according to Italian media reports.
The Pontiff reportedly referred Mayor Ignazio Marino as someone who “professes to be Catholic”.
Speaking on the flight home to Rome, Francis was asked whether he had invited the mayor, a supporter of same-sex marriage and euthanasia, to join him in Philadelphia.
He is reported to have replied: “I didn’t invite the mayor. Is that clear? I asked the organisers and they didn’t invite him either.”
The Holy Father reportedly added that “He professes to be Catholic, it came on him all of a sudden. It doesn’t happen like that.”
Mr Marino is unpopular in Italy and his presence on the final part of the papal visit, which followed a holiday in the Caribbean, was criticised at home.
The apparent tension between the Pope and mayor is especially problematic in light of the upcoming Holy Year of Mercy in December, which the Vatican reportedly fears Rome is ill-prepared for.
The Italian media leaped on the Pope’s comments, with La Stampa commenting that “If the most popular man in the world takes down one of the least popular in Italy, that says that all the rules of the game have been thrown up in the air, including possibly those of mercy.”
Some 20 million pilgrims are expected for the Year of Mercy, which begins on December 8.
Ping!
So much is lost in translation and poor writing, lets just make stuff up to get excited about....
Pope flips off mayor then smiles!
H’mmmm, can the mayor of Rome establish a blockade of the Vatican City? I can see a few American mayors wanting to do that if they were in this place.
Brilliant!!
There has to be more to this story. If there is any animosity or friction between the two men, I’d be surprised if it was based on the Mayor not favoring same-sex marriage. Most Christians still don’t favor it. It may just be a power struggle, brought on by a clash of personalities. Sometimes, you just don’t like somebody.
The Mayor of Rome should not be upset with these comments. There are Catholics, here, on FR who say the same thing about Francis.
Some of the problem is that the Mayor is a longtime advocate for “the right to die”, i.e. euthenasia.
There may be other issues also.
He’s a moderate leftist.
This man is Bi-polar. That can be dangerous.
Maybe this is one giant misunderstanding and he doesn’t understand any language at all.
One way or the other, we have enough problems here, Rome should take care of it for the good of all Catholics.
Indeed. But there are many varieties sadly holding to basic unifying errors on the broad way of damnation.
“The Mayor of Rome should not be upset with these comments. There are Catholics, here, on FR who say the same thing about Francis”
Do you defend Pelosi as strongly?
Has the Pope publically challenged Pelosi’s faith? No he hasn’t nor has Pelosi’s priest or bishop.
The Pope is not Pelosi’s Bishop.
But he is the Bishop of the Mayor of Rome.
So, you should feel positive that the Pope is scolding the Mayor.
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