[ad_1]
In a veiled beard against his enemies in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis joked that “some people wanted me to die” when he had colon surgery over the summer.
Hostile prelates were happily preparing for the next conclave, the gathering of cardinals held in the Sistine Chapel that elects a new pontiff, he suggested in an interview full of dark humor and frustration.
Critics were doing “the work of the devil,” he said, in a strident rebuke to the opposition he encountered not only in Rome but among traditionalist Catholics around the world.
In the interview with a group of Jesuit priests during his recent trip to Slovakia, the Pope was asked how he felt as he recovered from the July operation.
“Still alive, although some people wanted me to die.” I know that there were even meetings between prelates who thought that the Pope’s condition was more serious than the official version. They were getting ready for the conclave.
It was one of the strongest references he made to the many detractors he has within the Catholic Church and beyond, some of whom have called him a communist, heretic, even d ‘anti-pope.
Conservatives and reactionaries have been enraged by his support for refugees and migrants, his harsh criticism of the negative effects of global capitalism, his sympathetic tone towards gay Catholics, and his support for remarried divorcees to be allowed to go to communion.
To his enemies he had a one-word message: “Patience! “
He said that thanks to the skills of the doctors and nurses, he was now doing “well” after the serious operation he had.
He declared that among his detractors was “a large Catholic television station which does not hesitate to speak ill of the Pope constantly”.
He did not name the station, but it was widely considered to be a reference to the media conglomerate EWTN, which is very critical of its papacy.
“Personally, I deserve attacks and insults because I am a sinner, but the Church does not deserve them. They are the work of the devil.
He spoke candidly about his criticisms throughout the interview, which was published in a respected Jesuit magazine, La Civilta Cattolica.
“There are also clerics who make nasty comments about me. Some people… say that I always talk about social issues and that I am a communist.
“I sometimes lose my patience, especially when they make judgments without entering into a real dialogue.”
His reaction was to continue his work as a leader of over a billion Catholics around the world.
[ad_2]
