VATICAN CORNER
In a June 28, 2016 interview with a journalist from La Nación, an Argentinian newspaper, Pope Francis said he won’t be slowed down by resistance from those in the Church who “say no to everything.” He rejects “conflict with them,” saying “they do their job, and I do mine.” He said “I want a Church that is open, understanding, that accompanies wounded families, I go ahead, without looking over my shoulder.” He also suggested that he has no intention of cracking down on the opposition, saying, “I don’t cut off heads. That was never my style. I’ve never liked doing that.” Yet with 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, referring to prelates (high ranking officials like bishops) who having been poor administrators in their diocese then eventually get appointed to a Vatican office. The suggestion is that Pope 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 new. Another interview question was about his predecessor emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, who Francis said has “problems moving, but his head and his memory are perfectly intact.” He said Benedict was a “revolutionary,” of “unmatched generosity” and whose resignation made all the problems of the Church clear.” His resignation “had nothing to do with personal things. It was an act of government, his last act of government.” Much of the interview considered Argentinian issues, and the Pope denied any problems with the new president. “I have no problem with President Macri,”Pope Francis said. “He seems to me a good family person, a noble person.” He admitted he had a dispute with him once when he was mayor of Buenos Aires, but said “one time over a long period is a very low average.” In a different interview, over a year earlier, with a different Argentinian newspaper, La Voz Del Pueblo, Pope Francis admitted that he hasn’t watched television since 1990, after promising the Virgin Mary that he wouldn’t. His reasoning for swearing off the medium was simply that it “is not for me.” He explained that he never uses the Internet and relies on a member of the Swiss Guard to find out if his hometown soccer team has won or lost.
Sources: cruxnow.com, news.va, people.com