Pope Francis is at it again with his very controversial statements, this time making some very strange comments about “conservatives.”
In an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” the Pope seemed to claim that conservatives are “suicidal.”
When the long-running TV magazine’s Norah O’Donnell brought up the “conservative bishops” who “oppose your new efforts to revisit teachings and traditions,” Pope Francis had some very sharp words for his opposition.
“Conservative is one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that. It is a suicidal attitude,” the Pope accused.
He went on to exclaim that “Because, one thing is to take tradition into account, to consider situations from the past, but quite another is to be closed up inside a dogmatic box.”
The Pope addresses his conservative critics in the church.
“Conservative is one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that. It is a suicidal attitude,” says Pope Francis. This Sunday on 60 Minutes, the Pope sits down with @NorahODonnell. https://t.co/mEN4CWeXMW pic.twitter.com/HPYgVm4kIp
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) May 16, 2024
This sounds suspiciously like comments that Barack Obama made back in 2008.
At the time, Obama was caught on a recording speaking to a posh, San Francisco fundraiser where he attacked people who “cling” to their traditional American ideals.
Has Pope Francis damaged the Catholic church?
Obama blasted the residents of small town Pennsylvania who are “bitter” that their jobs have not come back for 25 years. He went on, saying, “And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations,” Politico reported at the time.
Comparisons to Obama aside, the Pope’s claims are odd, to say the least. The Catholic Church is the virtual definition of “tradition” and “conservatism.” The Church is built on its history and traditions, so to ding fellow churchmen for being too traditional and conservative is a strange attack, especially when that criticism comes from the very leader of that church.
But this is just one more odd comment coming from a Pope that many have taken to calling the “red Pope” for his constant far, far left proclamations.
In March, for instance, Francis claimed that Ukraine does not have the “courage of the white flag,” causing many to wonder if he was saying that Ukraine should surrender in its war against Russia. He later claimed that he wasn’t criticizing Ukraine for continuing to resist the Russian invaders but only meant that Ukraine should think of its people.
The Pope also raised eyebrows for saying that priests should “bless” same-sex unions, a move many felt meant that the Pope was sanctioning gay marriage.
He has also hosted a large group of transgenders at a luncheon, causing a lot of concern that he was condoning transgenderism.
In fact, his views and proclamations have been so far to the left that more radical Catholic officials have been emboldened in pushing their agenda.
In December, for instance, a Catholic priest in Italy created a gay-themed Nativity scene and cited the Pope’s comments on inclusivity as his inspiration to recreate the birth of Christ with a gay theme.
In another case, a supposedly Catholic women’s college cited the Pope’s liberal ideas for its decision to allow men who claim to be women to attend the school.
But this Pope has also engaged in what many say is retaliation against conservative members of the church. In one case, for instance, he moved to punish a conservative American critic by evicting Cardinal Raymond Burke from his Vatican-subsidized apartment.
Francis then fired a conservative American Bishop who had been an outspoken in his comments opposing the liberalization of the church.
To say that Pope Francis has been controversial would be a vast understatement, and his latest remarks are not helping that image.
