Over at Religion News Service, Claire GiangravĂ© reports on Nora O’Donnell’s 60 Minutes interview with Pope Francis. Here is a taste:
Conservative opposition to this pontificate by bishops in the United States is “a suicidal attitude” that clings to the past and neglects reality, Pope Francis said in an interview with “60 Minutes” that aired on Sunday (May 19).
Responding in Spanish to questions from CBS news anchor Norah O’Donnell, the pope addressed issues ranging from the war in Gaza and in Ukraine, confusion over the blessing of same-sex couples, and surrogacy. Francis also answered questions about the Catholic Church in the United States and anti-migration policies in the country.
“(A) conservative is one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that,” the pope said. “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,” he added.
O’Donnell asked the pope about attempts by the Texas government to shut down Annunciation House, a Catholic charity dedicated to helping undocumented migrants coming through Mexico.
“That is madness. Sheer madness,” Francis said, adding that “the migrant has to be received. Then you see how you are going to deal with him. Maybe you have to send him back, I don’t know, but each case ought to be considered humanely.”
Criticism of restrictive border policies has been a recurring theme of Francis’ pontificate, including those of the United States. In 2017, in a barely veiled reference to President Donald Trump’s plan to build a wall on the Mexican border, Francis said that Christians are called to “build bridges, not walls.”
Read the rest here.
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