Highlights & Lowlights…

More Interviews:
3 with Francis, 1 with Benedict

The barrage of words from the Vatican will not let up: In the past few days, a total of four major interviews hit the news, three that were conducted with the “Pope”, Francis, and one with the “Pope Emeritus”, Benedict XVI. Let’s take a look at the actual texts and some highlights, in chronological order:

Interview with Francis by Henrique Cymerman for Israeli Media (Nov. 28):

  • Full Text in English here
  • Francis says he harshly condemns any kind of violence in the name of God
  • On Jerusalem: It “should be the capital of the three religions” — not exactly what our Lord thought when He wept over the city’s rejection of Him as the Messiah (see Mt 23:37)
  • On the afterlife: “What awaits us [is] Heaven on earth”
  • On interreligious prayer and events: “God … likes to surprise, and now we are waiting to see how he will surprise us”
  • On Talmudic Judaism (as opposed to the Judaism of the Old Covenant, which ceased with the promulgation of the Gospel): “…our roots are in Judaism.
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