Francis trades quips with Polish photographer in Vilnius

If AP is to be believed about anything having to with the Church or with Francis, AP has an interesting tid bit about Francis’ present trip to Lithuania.

First, remember the great photo of John Paul II by Grzegorz Galazka?

Now read this…

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — The Latest on Pope Francis’ visit to the Baltic countries (all times local):

6:35 p.m.

Pope Francis has acknowledged that his reputation pales a bit compared to St. John Paul II — at least as far as Poles are concerned.

Greeting journalists Saturday en route to Lithuania, Francis was given a book about the former pope by Polish photographer Grzegorz Galazka. Receiving the large book with a beaming John Paul on the cover, Francis quipped: “(Pope John Paul II) was a saint, I am the devil.”

Laughing, Galazka immediately corrected him: “No, you are both saints! You are both saints!”

Francis’ quip appeared to acknowledge that he has his detractors, particularly among conservative Catholics who long for the more doctrinaire papacies of John Paul and Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

The criticism of Francis by conservatives has grown more vocal recently amid the church’s sex abuse scandals and the distress over his opening to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion.

Moderation is ON.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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20 Comments

  1. Elizabeth D says:

    Further adding to the confusion of which utterances of Francis should be taken as magisterial.

  2. Francis quipped: “(Pope John Paul II) was a saint, I am the devil.”

    If he is, then it came straight from the horse’s mouth. If he was joking, it may have been a dangerous thing to say. What an opening for ole Bluebeard, as St. Pio used to call him.

  3. WVC says:

    His words. Not mine.

  4. Malta says:

    Well, there is also this a plethora of other comments by this pope which annoys us conservative Catholics: “I do not approach the relationship in order to proselytize, or convert the atheist; I respect him… nor would I say that his life is condemned, because I am convinced that I do not have the right to make a judgment about the honesty of that person… every man is the image of God, whether he is a believer or not. For that reason alone everyone has a series of virtues, qualities, and a greatness of his own.” (Francis, On Heaven and Earth, pp. 12-13)”

    Oh, OK–Francis is here throwing St. Paul under the bus who died converting Pagans.

  5. Ivan says:

    Even a broken clock …

  6. Malta says:

    This ‘pope’ is unreal, in my humble opinion he is not even Catholic; I ponder at this quote as well: “October 1, 2013: “And I believe in God. Not in a catholic God; a catholic God does not exist; God exists. And I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Jesus is my master/teacher and pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my Being. Do you think we are very far apart?” Francis said in the interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.”

    A “catholic God does not exist,” Oh REALLY, as Ace Ventura said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2SuF9wxBjs

    With that reasoning this pope is saying that all the martyrs of the Church gave their lives for what/

  7. Anneliese says:

    He’s making himself a martyr. Which is funny because I think he’s becoming like Nero, watching everything fall apart and placing blame on others.

  8. rdb says:

    “Conservatives” have a problem with him. Does he mean like those who report for Der Spiegel?

  9. G1j says:

    All we ask, as faithful Catholics, is clarity from the pope. Instead we get muddy waters and circuitous routes between A and B instead of a straight line.

  10. e.davison49 says:

    FatherZ. Didn’t you say a little while ago that the Devil always says what he is doing? The Devil can’t hide his horns? This sounds a little like that.

  11. Benedict Joseph says:

    The broken clock is right twice a day.
    No attempt at correction was required at that moment.

  12. David says:

    Tu dixisti.

  13. MrsMacD says:

    “I am the devil.” Wow. Did he say that? “Everything I say is doctrine.” Chuckle.

  14. JonPatrick says:

    It is not “conservatives” that are upset at Pope Francis. It is Catholics who love their Church and believe what the Church teaches. The Church is not a Parliament with Liberals and Conservatives at odds with each other. The atheist secular media does not seem to be able to see things through any other lens than the political.

  15. JustaSinner says:

    Only the Dark One would utter the truth in this instance?

  16. FN says:

    Can one think of any occasion on which one would actually say, out loud, “I am the d…” I can’t even type it. I am sure Fr Z wouldn’t. Would any of us? “I’m just a poor sinner” would seem to be the more natural response. Very curious.

  17. JesusFreak84 says:

    Even if Francis was TEH BEST POPE EVAH, that kind of remark is foolish. Some things you just don’t joke about, and some things certain people just shouldn’t ever joke about… I’ll bet the fundie prots had a field day with that quip >.<;;;

  18. bibi1003 says:

    Finally, he’s said something we don’t need to fact-check.

  19. KateD says:

    Is that available on a mug?

  20. Marion Ancilla Mariae II says:

    The “I am the devil” remark bespeaks a preoccupation with self, and also seems not without a trace of self-pity, both of which are unsuitable in a clergyman, much less a bishop, much less the Roman Pontiff.

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