John VennariFrancis pledges to continue his destructive revolution. – John Vennari
(Crux) – Pope Francis has vowed in a new interview that he won’t be slowed down by resistance from “ultra-conservatives” in the Church who “say no to everything,” insisting, “I’m going ahead without looking over my shoulder.”
The pontiff also suggested he has no intention of launching a crackdown on the opposition, saying, “I don’t cut off heads. That was never my style. I’ve never liked doing that”…
The June 28 conversation was with journalist Joaquín Morales Solá, who writes for La Nacion in Argentina. It was Morales who used the word “ultra-conservative” to describe internal resistance to the pope, and Francis said he “rejects conflict” with them.
“They do their job, and I do mine,” the pope said.
“I want a Church that is open, understanding, that accompanies wounded families,” he said. “They say no to everything. I go ahead, without looking over my shoulder.”
Yet with what Morales described as a “wide smile,” the pontiff continued: “Nails are removed by applying pressure to the top … or, you set them aside to rest when the age of retirement arrives.”
The “nails” reference is often heard in Rome, used to refer to prelates who, having been bad administrators in their diocese – not criminally so, but simply inefficient – get appointed to a Vatican office. The suggestion appeared to be that Francis is slowly getting rid of people he perceives as problems, in many cases by waiting for them to reach the normal retirement age and then appointing someone else.
Another question was about emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, who Francis said has “problems moving, but his head and his memory are intact, perfect.”
The pope says that his predecessor was a “revolutionary,” of “unmatched generosity”…
For the rest of the article click here.
Matt Gaspers
