Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves of Toledo issued a statement declaring the cComments from some priests in a weekly internet broadcastwhere the wish was expressed that the Pope Francis will die soon. This incident sparked controversy in the religious community.
The statement posted on the archdiocese’s website said the archbishop had warned of a possible incident “Corrective actions” in response to such statements, although the specific actions to be taken were not detailed.
The controversial episode occurred during a broadcast of the program “The Sacristy of the Vendée. Counterrevolutionary Priesthood Tertulia” on YouTube, where a priest from Toledo explained his wish that the Pope would die soon.
“I also pray a lot for the Pope so that he can go to heaven as quickly as possible,” the priest said.
This comment was seconded by another priest while the discussion group was meeting six Spanish-speaking priests from different countries, laughed at such expressions.
Archbishop Cerro Chaves expressed his “deep rejection of any expression of dissatisfaction with the person and office of the Holy Father” and called on priests to ask for forgiveness for their words. In addition, he emphasized that the opinions expressed by the priests in the program do not reflect the archdiocese.
“We apologize for the unfortunate comment, which was made in a humorous tone and was about praying for the pope to go to heaven as quickly as possible,” he said.
“It is a distasteful comment 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 as such,” the group said.
Later the group “The Sacristy of “La Vendée” apologized via its account on the platform He reiterated his adherence to Pope Francis and the unity of the Catholic Church. This incident underscores the importance of respect and unity within the religious community as well as responsibility in expressing opinions, especially by church figures.
ORP
