ROME— Those who spend their lives accusing the Church are the “friends, cousins and relatives of the devil,” Pope Francis said on the eve of the Vatican clergy sex abuse summit.
The statement comes as the world’s media is focused on the Vatican as it tackles accusations of clergy sexual abuse, silence and coverup.
In a Feb. 20 address to pilgrims from the southern Italian diocese of Benevento — the birthplace of St. Padre Pio — the Pope warned against what he called the “fashionable” trend of destroying the Church with one’s tongue.
“One cannot live one’s whole life accusing, accusing, accusing the Church,” he said. “Whose office is it to accuse? Who is the one the Bible calls the Great Accuser? The devil! And those who spend their lives accusing, accusing, accusing, are — I will not say children, because the devil doesn’t have any — but friends, cousins, relatives of the devil.”
The assertion that the devil has no children is surprising given the clear statement of Jesus to the contrary in John 8:44, when the Lord said to those who denied their slavery to sin: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
The Pope’s latest “Great Accuser” comments come one day before the opening of a widely anticipated Vatican summit on the “Protection of Minors in the Church.” The meeting, which will gather presidents of bishops’ conferences around the world together with the Pope, was called due to growing public anger, especially in the United States, over the McCarrick case, and other abuse that has come to light in the US, Europe, Latin America and Australia.
His comments come the day after Cardinal Raymond Burke and Cardinal Walter Brandmüller wrote an open letter to the presidents of bishops’ conferences attending this week’s Vatican summit on clerical sex abuse, calling on them to “raise their voices” on the moral corruption in the Church, and after a coalition of 100 Catholic laity mobilized in Rome’s historic center to silently “oppose the Vatican’s policy of silence about homosexuality” in the abuse crisis.
It is unclear to whom the Pope is referring when he speaks of the “friends, cousins and relatives of the devil.” In December, the Pope’s new editorial director of Vatican communications, Andrea Tornielli, has openly named Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò as the “Great Accuser.”
In Tornielli’s view, Archbishop Viganò earned the title for alleging in his 11-page explosive testimony that in 2013, as nuncio to the United States, he personally told Pope Francis that McCarrick had corrupted “generations” of seminarians and priests.
Thank God for Pope Francis and his courageous leadership!
Now, that is an amusing post.
It is very sad to hear Francis’ words against those speaking out against corruption in the Church. His response should be to answer the accusations brought forth, pure and simple. Give clear answers and give clear and convincing reasons for his answers. That’s what a real leader would do. Let the truth out, regardless of the consequences to himself or his sycophants. Since when does obfuscation or dissimulation serve the cause of Christ?
He did. He laicized, for the first time ever in the 2,000 year history of the church, a Cardinal. That seems pretty clear to me!
I am sorry to disagree with you YFC, but this one action does not in any way answer to the massive scope of the problem of homosexual predation by priests and bishops. One might with some justice view this move as a sop and nothing more.
Please. Most have known about the priest sex abuse crisis since the 1990s, and certainly since it became headline news in the 2000s. Yet just now, when there is a Pope you don’t like, you suddenly call it “massive”. You’re a bit late. You are using this crisis merely to bash THIS pope and gay people, even though you know perfectly well that it started before him and he is the one taking bold steps to end it. And you know perfectly well that half of all straight priests have had at least one affair and 20% of the child abuse cases are against girls. Beg to differ all you like, but he’s doing more than the past 3 popes combined.
I am again sorry to differ with you YFC, but there is not a line in your 11:40 am post with which I can find agreement, except the word “please.” .
Dan you are very late. 1) Msgr O’Shea’s SF lawsuit in ’94 during pontificate of John Paul II for events during the pontificate of Paul VI https://bit.ly/2XnC1h5 2) John Jay report documents about 20% of abuse victims were girls in a scandal at least as long ago as 1950 during the pontificate of Pope Pius XII https://bit.ly/LOJiBb 3) Press reports since 1990 that about half of all priests are sexually active, broken down by sexual orientation https://bit.ly/2Ewb9E9
Please read them carefully
It’s lip service compared to scope of the problem.
Let me know when he laicizes the great rapists roomates
I just read that there are about 10, 000 (ten thousand!) children of priests who hve been sex predators, worldwide! These children have struggled terribly, and are in great need of help! The Vatican, up to now, has not recognized these children, nor helped them! They have been ignored! But recently, the Pope has started to address this problem, and implement ways to help these poor children. Can’t believe this! So tragic! Both mother and child suffer, in sex abuse cases, involving girls and women! Any abortions??? God help the Church! I feel sick, after finding all of this out! I never knew it existed– victims of clerical sex abuse never talked about their children!
Explain me this: If the sex abuse crisis is all about homosexual priests, then how are there 10,000 children of priests?
YFC– I got this information from an EWTN news source. I had no idea of those ten thousand suffering, illegitimate children, fathered by priests! And their mothers are suffering, too! Regardless if it is a homosexual or a heterosexual priest who commits a sex abuse crime– the Vatican needs to take effective action, to correct this problem– and make our churches safe! From the news, it seems that gay priests who are sexual predators, may approach and sexually assault any male — gay or heterosexual. Have you ever known anyone who got approached– or sexually assaulted– by one of these “bad priests??” Scary!!
Hey welcome back. Haven’t heard from you for a bit. There is a problem with priest fathering children but the majority is about sex forced on young men. That’s called Rape
When I relied ” welcome back, haven’t heard from you for a while” was intended for YFC.
Joe D, to call it a homosexual problem ignores the entirety of the problem.
Would you agree that Homosexual Priests is part of the problem ?
YES
YFC— Last night, I read a long list of names of priests in the past, convicted of clergy sex abuse. Many went to jail. All were defrocked, laicized– and excommunicated! These criminals are all long-deceased. I think our Church needs a strong teaching and response to SIN– even to (pardon me!) scare the dickens out of everyone, on Hell– like they used to! What do you say??
First, I’m not aware of a long list of deceased, jailed, defrocked and excommunicated priests. Where did you read this?
But, I agree, Anonymous at 6:57, that our Church needs strong teaching & response to this crisis. We’ve endued this scandal publicly since at least the early 1990s, including one of JPII’s favorite priests, Marcel Marciel, yet for some reason people think THIS pope caused it all, even though he has been the toughest by far.
Yes, there have been abortions.
I have only heard of one woman who was raped by a priest, got pregnant and her family forced her to abort the baby. This person has never notified the Church, to my knowledge. There may be more like that.
Most of the priest’s children in the world are from consensual relationships, some very long term.
After the Pope mentioned cases of nuns who had been repeatedly raped by priests and bishops— I was so horrified! I had never heard of this! Why was the Pope talking about this problem? I then read some terrible news stories on this situation– I couldn’t believe it! The Catholic Church refused to listen to or help these poor, raped nuns! They were sternly responded to– and ignored, or else warned and threatened, not to talk bout their tragic cases! So now, the Pope needs to take action, to correct these evils! Makes me sick! Those poor, suffering, holy nuns!!
Thank you CalCathDaily staff for showing this article here. I have read many comments accusing the “institutional Church” of this and that, sometimes, actually oftentimes, unjustly and uncharitably. Imagine Muslims condemning their imams so publicly or Orthodox Jews criticizing their rabbis without compunction. Yet the habitués here do so routinely. I say the Holy Father is so right to call them out, and to point out that when they criticize their bishop, or priest, without charity and without merit, and I would include criticizing the Second Vatican Council as well as the Sacrament of the Holy Mass in the Ordinary Form that they are playing right into the hands of the Devil himself. Beware people. Beware.
In Middle Eastern religious cultures, especially Muslim– the penalties for those who speak out against injustice are horrific!! Beware If you or your child were a victim of crimes committed by Catholic clerics– your life or your child’s life destroyed– you might suffer so terribly, you would lose your faith– and detest the Pope! Beware, Wolves in sheep’s clothing!
I agree. The devil takes what is good in people and twists it, makes them feel self-righteous, prompts their pride until they sin.
Daily Bible reading can help as well as going to the Blessed Mother. Ask yourself “Would Mary do this?”
When you attack the Church, you attack God, Mary, all the angels and all the Saints. You attack the just along with the sinner.
I cannot remember the Saint to whom this was said but Mary told them “When you see a priest do something wrong, tell Me. Tell only Me.”
jon and Anonymous– Our Lord was plotted against, and handed over to Roman authorities, to be put to death, by Jewish religious leaders— for sternly reprimanding them for their sinful behavior!! Be careful! There is a big difference, between responsible reprimands for sin, and demanding change– and immature attacks on Church leaders!
He did not reprimand him for their sinful behavior but for their hypocrisy and hardness of heart. These were the people who obeyed the Law and other rules. But they were doing it out of self-righteousness and love of power and honor. They strained out the gnat and swallowed the camel, remember? They used the law given by God to kill God. They could not recognize God when He was standing right in front of them. They asked him “Are you the Son of God?” not because they wanted to know but because they wanted an excuse to kill him.
Yes, Anonymous– and hypocrisy and hardness of heart– are SINFUL!! Call a spade a spade!— Christ did! Church leaders who are SINFUL require CRITICISM and CORRECTION. And some need to be in jail, doing PENANCE for their SINS of clergy sex abuse and cover-ups.
Vigano is a hero with courage. Bergoglio is feeling the heat.
The issue of sexual abuse is a moral tragedy. It is spiritual murder.
The Holy Father is again misdirecting in order to distract and confuse.
The faithful are NOT accusing the Church. The Church was established by Jesus Himself, with a process of handing on the Deposit of Faith.
The faithful ARE accusing individuals entrusted, through Petrine, Episcopal and Apostolic Succession, with the leadership of the Church! Many of those in leadership positions within Christ’s Church have misused the authority of the offices they themselves occupy!
You are so right. The Holy Father through his own words claims that he, along with the likes of Cdls. Cupich, Wuerl, Gomez and Mabony are themselves the Church.
Not true. They are the individuals, not the Church, who have inflicted damage. The Church, as a society founded by Christ, to provide the fullest means of salvation through is pure. The Universal Catholic Church is the BRIDE of Jesus Christ.
It is a select group of popes, cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests, who have DEFILED the Bride of Christ.
The Holy Father is right. — Those who accuse the Church are relatives of the devil. Accusing the Church is like accusing Jesus Himself.
However, the members of His Church, need to point out to the Holy Father that those clergy for whom the Holy Father is responsible, are themselves the relatives of the devil.
By turning a blind-eye and concealing the wrongdoing, is it not logical that those in positions of leadership are the ones who are complicit and are the real relatives of the devil?
He said they were “tools of Satan.”
HF, “Who are you to judge???”
Lou Varini,
I agree with your with your observation. On another point though, we as the laity may nit be in the best position to correct the Holy Father, no matter how obviously flawed his statements or reasoning are. While admonishment is one of the Spiritual Acts of Mercy, before giving correction or admonishment, the Church teaches (citation omitted) that there are three prerequisites:
1. It must be a grave matter;
2. The individual making the admonishment must be the proper person to do so; and
3. There is a likelihood that the person being admonished will heed the person making the admonishment.
With that said, there are individuals who have spoken out below, one of whom is Cardinal Burke, former head of the…
(continued from previous)
. . . Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, and other true shepherds:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/tags/tag/gerhard+m%C3%BCller
https://www.lifesitenews.com/tags/tag/raymond+burke
When I get upset about the latest scandals, I’m not criticizing “Holy Mother Church”, I’m criticizing the cowards who are destroying “Holy Mother Church”.
It is a temptation. Don’t fall for it. Those who read or hear your criticism may not be faithful enough or strong enough to continue in the Church. You may be a cause of scandal. You may cause the death of a soul.
jon and Anonymous– Our Lord was plotted against, and handed over to Roman authorities, to be put to death, by Jewish religious leaders— for sternly reprimanding them for their sinful behavior!! Be careful! There is a big difference, between responsible reprimands for sin, and demanding change– and immature attacks on Church leaders!
I’m confused. Pope Francis told us to feel free to criticize him. Now if we do he says we are devils????? Which is it???
YFC– in the report I read– a very old report of cases long ago– these clerics were ordained long ago, before 1950. But there were not as many cases, as in recent decades! Looks like most victims were girls and women. The sin of clerical sex abuse has been going on a long time!
YFC– The criminals I read about, committed their crimes before 1950, actually– a long time ago. The list of criminals was a lot shorter, than the lists of clergy sex abuse criminals who committed crimes in recent decades. Looks like most of their victims were girls and women. I recall my family, many long years ago, laughingly discussing a “bad priest” of the 1920s, in the town where my mom grew up. Why didn’t the Bishop catch him?? He was noted for being well-educated. And he had a mistress and fathered four children– and used his salary for all her needs, and for the Catholic education of his four children! SCANDAL!!
At least Pope Francis is acknowledging the reality of the devil. His predecessor rarely did so.
HF instructed upon his elevation to “make a mess in the Church.”
Then he helped make a mess in the Church.
Now he is complaining about the mess.
You are distorting what he said, ignoring when he said it, why he said it and where he said it.
He has not helped make a mess of the Church. Faithless Catholics have.
He complains as the Vicar of Christ. Obey Pope Francis.
Sin is sin. The devil makes people think that they are righteous when they sin.
Nope. It was pure south american brown shirt socialism “make a mess” (to youth) “money is dung of devil” rah rah.
Yes– a big mess. Starting with the Synod on the Family– and the fraudulent “Amoris Laetitia!” And many of his own top leaders and advisers are either gay-promoters– or else, have committed clergy sex abuse crimes- and have been defrocked! This recent clergy sex abuse summit never said one word to follow through, on what this Pope had previously mentioned– that men with gay tendencies should not be allowed into seminaries! The “gay” part of clergy sex abuse was deliberately excluded, unwanted! We should always seek to follow Jesus, and be good Catholics– but we may not always have a good Pope!!
We have a good Pope, But pray for him and the bishops and priests. There are movements of priests in Europe such as Call to Disobedience in Austria that are of grave concern.