Pope Francis claims conservatives used Benedict's death to 'score points for their own side'

The Pope suggested that "the people who instrumentalize such a good person, so close to God ... don't have ethics; they are people who belong to a party, not to the church."

ADVERTISEMENT
Image
Jarryd Jaeger Vancouver, BC
ADVERTISEMENT
Pope Francis has accused conservatives within the Catholic Church of using the death of Pope Benedict XVI to "score points for their own side."

In the weeks since the prior pope passed, revelations have exposed tensions between him and his more liberal successor, however Francis denied allegations that he and Benedict were hostile towards one another.



"I think Benedict’s death was instrumentalized," Francis said while onboard the papal plane on his way back to Italy from South Sudan. "People wanted to score points for their own side."

He went on to suggest that "the people who instrumentalize such a good person, so close to God ... don't have ethics; they are people who belong to a party, not to the church."

Francis said he and Benedict, who acted as Pope Emeritus and continued to live in the Vatican after leaving his post, often consulted with one another on issues.

According to Reuters, Francis argued that allegations made by conservatives that Benedict was upset over some of his decisions were nothing more than tall tales. This despire revelations from Benedict's own words in the form of posthumously published writing.

Conservative members of the Church, however, told a very different story in the numerous books and interviews released after Benedict died on December 31.

Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who served as personal secretary to Benedict, stated that Francis' decision to crack down on the use of traditional Latin mass had "broken the heart" of the former pope.
 

"It hit him pretty hard," he told Die Tagespost, calling the practice "a spiritual treasure."

Other members suggested a rift had been growing between Benedict and Francis ever since the former stepped down in 2013, with much of the focus surrounding the latter's agenda, often criticized as too progressive for the Church.

In a book published posthumously, Benedict himself appeared to criticize Francis, claiming that the church was on the verge of "collapse." 

The Catholic Church has become decidedly more liberal in recent years, with Francis going so far as to state that while homosexuality was still a "sin," it should not be considered a crime.

 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in to comment

Comments

Powered by StructureCMS™ Comments

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy