Vatican Denies Interviewer's claim Regarding Pope Francis

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The Vatican gave the usual excuse for when Pope Francis talks to this guy:

https://translate.google.com/transl...,15700256,15700259,15700262,15700265,15700271
"As already stated on other occasions, the words that Dr. Eugenio Scalfari attributes in quotation marks to the Holy Father during talks with him cannot be considered as a faithful account of what was actually said, but rather represent a personal and free interpretation of this who listened, as appears completely evident from what is written today regarding the divinity of Jesus Christ ”
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Who knows what was really said. You would think if he was constantly misquoting the Pope and putting words in his mouth that Pope Francis wouldn’t talk to him anymore. Most likely, Pope Francis just doesn’t care about the confusion. The only other real alternative is that the Pope really did say all of these things, and that’s just not possible…right?
 
Ok, this is really absurd. The interviewer made the claim, and so it is news, but any report by a Catholic news site should treat it as nothing less than absolute calumny against the Holy Father. It should not be given a headline that lifeSiteNews gives it. Although the article does go on to focus on to questioning why the Holy Father gives this man interviews, no where does it treat the actual claim with the appropriate level of incredulity. It is a low point for life site news.

ETA: it took me all of 2 minutes to find multiple quotes by the Holy Father that directly contradicted the claim. A reporter should have done that in order to discredit the accusation.
 
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Weserthy said:
Who knows what was really said. You would think if he was constantly misquoting the Pope and putting words in his mouth that Pope Francis wouldn’t talk to him anymore. Most likely, Pope Francis just doesn’t care about the confusion. The only other real alternative is that the Pope really did say all of these things, and that’s just not possible…right?
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I would argue that it is possible that he said this, and maybe even likely given how many times he has talked to this guy (this is what the fourth or fifth time now). HOWEVER, this doesn’t mean that he believes it. Pope Francis is an expert at speaking to specific groups that have their own special interests and telling them what they want to hear. It’s one of the ways he has managed to maintain such a positive image with the secular media. Avoid controversial topics (abortion, homosexuality, etc.) and stick to the things they agree with (environmentalism, open borders, etc.).

When talking with a staunch atheist, it’s not unreasonable to believe that Pope Francis might have downplayed Jesus’ divinity in an attempt to influence Scalfari, in a misguided attempt at evangelization. It’s a page right of the Fr. James Martin playbook. Don’t talk about the hard stuff, the stuff they can’t stomach, just the stuff they’ll agree with, in an attempt to bring them over to your side. If you have to get a bit creative with Church doctrine, it’s OK, as long as they’re convinced in the end. It’s a strategy ultimately doomed to failure, but it’s one that seems to be in favor in today’s Church.

And yes I know the Vatican press office denied he said any of this. But frankly with the number of times this has happened over the past 6+ years I’m out of benefits of the doubt to give.
 
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Genesis315 said:
twice
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Bingo, a headline and article that is written as it should be by a catholic reporter. Actually by any reporter who is actually interested in presenting an objective story. LifeSiteNews failed miserably. It is a low point for them, although perhaps not the only low point in their history,
 
Lifesite is reporting what Scalfari claimed Pope Francis said. No one denies that Scalfari is claiming this. Scalfari claims it in print in his own paper.

Whether Pope Francis said it is another matter. However, after every interview, Scalfari comes out with some scandalous denial of dogma the Pope supposedly made.

That the Pope has given him another interview either makes the Pope an incredibly foolish and gullible man or he’s ok with Scalfari’s consistent characterizations. Neither possibility is a suitable attribute for someone in the office of Vicar of Christ.

Would you continue to give interviews to a man who puts blasphemies into your mouth?
 
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LifeSiteNews did nothing to discredit the man’s claim. And their headline was written in a fashion to present the man’s claim as credible. Yes, there is the associated issue as to why the Holy Father gives Scalfari interviews. But first and foremost, the reporter should have done the basic work of discrediting Scalfari 's claim. It is afterall, a very scandalous claim. But I strongly suspect that the reporter likes a little scandal associated with the Holy Father.
 
Genesis315 said:
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me a third time, I’m not fooled at all–I’m in on the game.
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You might want to read the article before making baseless charges againt the Pope. Nowhere does it claim that this is a new interview.
 
Interesting that other (i.e., not LifeSite) sources are giving the quote as "“not at all a God,” while LifeSite claims it’s “was not God at all.”
Big difference. Not that LifeSite ever slants against Pope Francis . . .
 
Fair enough, it is unclear where this comes from, but he has had numerous interviews and private conversations with the man that has led to at least four vague Vatican “clarifications” now–we’re beyond the third either way. Even if this was not from a subsequent private conversation to the last, then there still needs to be a public disavowal from the Pope this time.
 
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The Pope needs to kick Scalfari to the curb and stop giving him any interviews. End of story.
 
Seriously, why even drag this up. It is discredited by the Vatican. The 'reporter" involved is

a 95 , yes that is 95yo atheist.

Is it possible this 95 yo atheist is just not understanding what Low and High Christology means.

Pray for this man, that he finds God.

Catholics have enough trouble understanding Low and High Christology, It must be quite difficult for 95yo atheists quite possibly set in their beliefs and hoping to discredit the Church
 
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The staff of Lifesite, who continually defame the Holy Father, will have to answer to God for their conduct.

I love all the Popes of my lifetime- each brings their own gifts and we are truly blessed to have their leadership.
 
I hope that LifeSite will reconsider their outrage bait headlines.
 
I would also ask for confirmation from the Pope himself that this man is his
‘favoured interviewer’
 
I thought there was a kerfuffle like this a few years ago. The story is current from the source but I thought this happened previously.
 
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