A Spanish Archbishop has publicly criticized a group of priests for making a remark that may or not have been a joke about Pope Francis’ frail health.
The comment that incensed Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves of Toledo was made by some priests on a weekly internet podcast.
Read: “Still Alive!” – Pope Francis to Reporter After Being Discharged from Hospital (VIDEO)
A priest made a ‘joke’ that has been understood as being about ‘praying for Pope Francis to die as soon as possible’.
Chaves posted a statement on his archdiocese website Wednesday, rejecting the comments and warning that he may take unspecified ‘corrective measures’.
Associated Press reported:
“The statement followed an episode of a program on YouTube called ‘The Sacristy of the Vendée. A counter-revolutionary priestly gathering’ earlier this month. In it, a Toledo priest makes an introductory salute saying, ‘I also pray a lot for the Pope, so that he can go to heaven as soon as possible’.
Another priest expresses his support for this while the conversation group, which involved six Spanish-speaking priests from different countries, laughed over the comments.”
Archbishop Chavez expressed his ‘profound rejection of any manifestation of disaffection towards the person and ministry of the Holy Father’.
The statement further states that the archbishopric ‘is not responsible for or represented by the statements made by the priests’ in the internet program.
“In messages Wednesday posted on its X platform account, The Sacristy of the Vendée group apologized. ‘We are sorry for the unfortunate comment, said in a humorous tone, about ’praying for the Pope to go to Heaven as soon as possible’,’ it said.
‘It is a comment in bad taste and, although it does not express wishes for the death of the Pope, as some media have maliciously spread, we understand that it can be understood that way’, the group said.”
Read more:
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