Argentine Catholics pray outside St. Cajetan Church in in Buenos Aires in this 2017 file photo. (CNS photo/Marcos Brindicci, Reuters)
Among the biggest of the pieces that dropped in the major Papal interview with Noticieros Televisa’s long-time Vaticanologist, Valentina Alazraki, was the one about Pope Francis’s knowledge of the character and proclivities of his old acquaintance, the disgraced former bishop of Orán, Gustavo Zanchetta.
The short version is: Pope Francis knew enough. Here is a portion of the exchange, in the Catholic World Report’s translation:
NT: Staying on the subject of the lack of information, or the fact that not everything reaches [those it should]: In Argentina, for example, media say people had informed [you] about Bishop Zanchetta, that you here in the Vatican knew. You brought him here [to the Vatican], put him in a place that you created — practically from nothing for him. People don’t understand that.
PF: No, but you have to explain it to people.
NT: That’s why I’d like you to explain it.
PF: Do you want me to explain it now? I will do so with pleasure.
NT: If you’d like…
PF: Yes, then. There had been an accusation, and, before asking him to resign, I immediately brought him here with the person who accused him. [This was] an accusation [involving Zanchetta’s] telephone.
NT: Pictures…
PF: Yes, but in the end he defended himself by saying that they had hacked him, and he defended himself well. Then, in the face of evidence and a good defense, doubt remains. But, in dubio pro reo [when in doubt, decide in favor of the guilty], so I backed off [Sp. volvé, literally, “I turned around”]. And the Cardinal of Buenos Aires came to be a witness to everything. And I continued to follow it in a particular way. Certainly, he had a way of treating people that was, according to some, despotic, authoritarian, an economic management of things that was not entirely clear, it seems, but this has not been proven.
There is no doubt that the clergy did not feel well treated by him. They complained, until they made a complaint to the nunciature as a clergy. I called the nunciature and the nuncio told me: “Look, the issue of the complaint for mistreatment is serious,” abuse of power, we could say. They didn’t call it that, but this was it. I had him come here and I asked him to resign. Beautiful and clear. I sent him to Spain to take a psychiatric test. Some media have said: “The Pope gave him a holiday in Spain.” But he was there to take a psychiatric test. The test result was normal, they recommended outpatient therapy once a month.
He had to go to Madrid and do two days of therapy every month, so it didn’t make sense for him to go back to Argentina. I kept him here [at the Vatican] because the test said he had management, diagnostic, and consulting skills. Some here in Italy have interpreted [his position] as “parking” him.
NT: And they criticized you because — they said — there had not been a bad handling and you put him here in the APSA …
PF: It was not like that. Economically he was messy, but he did not manage poorly the things he did manage. He was disorderly, but the vision is good. And I started looking for a successor. Once the new bishop was there, in December of last year I decided to do the preliminary investigation of the accusations. I appointed the Archbishop of Tucumán [Carlos Alberto Sánchez, in office since October 2017]. The Congregation for Bishops proposed various names to me. I called the president of the Argentine bishops’ conference, I made him choose and he said the best one for this is the archbishop of Tucumán. Of course, mid-December in Argentina is like mid-June here — that is, the holidays — and then, January and February is like July-August here. But they did something. Something like fifteen days ago the preliminary investigation came to me. I read it, and I saw that it was necessary to make a judgment. Then I passed it to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, [and] they are making the judgment. So, why do I tell you all this? To tell impatient people — who say, “He did not do anything,” that the Pope does not have to go around publishing every day what he is doing, but from the very first moment of this case I’ve not [once] stood staring. There are cases that are long, that take more — like this one — and now I explain why: because, for one reason or another, I did not have the elements or ‘h’ or ‘b’, but today the case is already in judgment at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. I have not stopped.
Francis, in short, believed the explanation of his friend over and against the evidence. Then, after it became clear that his friend was morally warped and impossibly authoritarian, Francis let the fellow resign and proceeded to create a position for his friend in the Vatican, because the powerful and scandal-prone dicastery that manages the Holy See’s real estate and financial holdings could not do without the consultations and management acumen of a perverted despot.
The man entrusted with the earthly fortunes of the pilgrim Church also apparently has yet to ace the difference between prudent personnel decisions and criminal justice. He cited the maxim, in dubio pro reo, in the case of Bishop Barros, as well: to disastrouseffect. He swore he’d learned his lesson after that episode, but one wonders.
Francis also said he continues to support the embattled Cardinal Archbishop of Tegucigalpa and Coordinator of his C9 C6 “kitchen cabinet” Council of Cardinal Advisers, Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, because, “No one has been able to prove anything against him.” One wonders at this point what sort of evidence would satisfy this Pope, or even convince him to have real investigators take a closer look.
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Christopher R. Altieri is a journalist, editor and author of three books, including Reading the News Without Losing Your Faith (Catholic Truth Society, 2021). He is contributing editor to Catholic World Report.
Pope Francis at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Oct. 5, 2016. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 13, 2023 / 13:15 pm (CNA).
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis as the 265th successor of St. Peter. Here is a timeline of key events during his papacy:
2013
March 13 — About two weeks after Pope Benedict XVI steps down from the papacy, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is elected pope. He takes the papal name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and proclaims from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica: “Let us begin this journey, the bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let us always pray for one another.”
March 14 — The day after he begins his pontificate, Pope Francis returns to his hotel to personally pay his hotel bill and collect his luggage.
July 8 — Pope Francis visits Italy’s island of Lampedusa and meets with a group of 50 migrants, most of whom are young men from Somalia and Eritrea. The island, which is about 200 miles off the coast of Tunisia, is a common entry point for migrants who flee parts of Africa and the Middle East to enter Europe. This is the pope’s first pastoral visit outside of Rome and sets the stage for making reaching out to the peripheries a significant focus.
Pope Francis gives the Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 2, 2013. . Elise Harris/CNA.
July 23–28 — Pope Francis visits Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in World Youth Day 2013. More than 3 million people from around the world attend the event.
July 29 — On the return flight from Brazil, Pope Francis gives his first papal news conference and sparks controversy by saying “if a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” The phrase is prompted by a reporter asking the pope a question about priests who have homosexual attraction.
Nov. 24 — Pope Francis publishes his first apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). The document illustrates the pope’s vision for how to approach evangelization in the modern world.
2014
Feb. 22 — Pope Francis holds his first papal consistory to appoint 19 new cardinals, including ones from countries in the developing world that have never previously been represented in the College of Cardinals, such as Haiti.
March 22 — Pope Francis creates the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The commission works to protect the dignity of minors and vulnerable adults, such as the victims of sexual abuse.
Pope Francis greets pilgrims during his general audience on Nov. 29, 2014. Bohumil Petrik/CNA.
Oct. 5 — The Synod on the Family begins. The bishops discuss a variety of concerns, including single-parent homes, cohabitation, homosexual adoption of children, and interreligious marriages.
Dec. 6 — After facing some pushback for his efforts to reform the Roman Curia, Pope Francis discusses his opinion in an interview with La Nacion, an Argentine news outlet: “Resistance is now evident. And that is a good sign for me, getting the resistance out into the open, no stealthy mumbling when there is disagreement. It’s healthy to get things out into the open, it’s very healthy.”
2015
Jan. 18 — To conclude a trip to Asia, Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Manila, Philippines. Approximately 6 million to 7 million people attend the record-setting Mass, despite heavy rain.
March 23 — Pope Francis visits Naples, Italy, to show the Church’s commitment to helping the fight against corruption and organized crime in the city.
May 24 — To emphasize the Church’s mission to combat global warming and care for the environment, Pope Francis publishes the encyclical Laudato si’, which urges people to take care of the environment and encourages political action to address climate problems.
Pope Francis at a Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on June 17, 2015. Bohumil Petrik.
Sept. 19–22 — Pope Francis visits Cuba and meets with Fidel Castro in the first papal visit to the country since Pope John Paul II in 1998. During his homily, Francis discusses the dignity of the human person: “Being a Christian entails promoting the dignity of our brothers and sisters, fighting for it, living for it.”
Sept. 22–27 — After departing from Cuba, Pope Francis makes his first papal visit to the United States. In Washington, D.C., he speaks to a joint session of Congress, in which he urges lawmakers to work toward promoting the common good, and canonizes the Franciscan missionary St. Junípero Serra. He also attends the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which focuses on celebrating the gift of the family.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis begins the second Synod on the Family to address issues within the modern family, such as single-parent homes, cohabitation, poverty, and abuse.
Oct. 18 — The pope canonizes St. Louis Martin and St. Marie-Azélie “Zelie” Guérin. The married couple were parents to five nuns, including St. Therese of Lisieux. They are the first married couple to be canonized together.
Dec. 8 — Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Mercy begins. The year focuses on God’s mercy and forgiveness and people’s redemption from sin. The pope delegates certain priests in each diocese to be Missionaries of Mercy who have the authority to forgive sins that are usually reserved for the Holy See.
2016
March 19 — Pope Francis publishes the apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia, which discusses a wide variety of issues facing the modern family based on discussions from the two synods on the family. The pope garners significant controversy from within the Church for comments he makes in Chapter 8 about Communion for the divorced and remarried.
April 16 — After visiting refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, Pope Francis allows three Muslim refugee families to join him on his flight back to Rome. He says the move was not a political statement.
Pope Francis at the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Feb. 24, 2016. Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
July 26–31 — Pope Francis visits Krakow, Poland, as part of the World Youth Day festivities. About 3 million young Catholic pilgrims from around the world attend.
Sept. 4 — The pope canonizes St. Teresa of Calcutta, who is also known as Mother Teresa. The saint, a nun from Albania, dedicated her life to missionary and charity work, primarily in India.
Sept. 30–Oct. 2 — Pope Francis visits Georgia and Azerbaijan on his 16th trip outside of Rome since the start of his papacy. His trip focuses on Catholic relations with Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to Amatrice, Italy, to pray for the victims of an earthquake in central Italy that killed nearly 300 people.
2017
May 12–13 — In another papal trip, Francis travels to Fatima, Portugal, to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. May 13 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Marian apparition to three children in the city.
July 11 — Pope Francis adds another category of Christian life suitable for the consideration of sainthood: “offering of life.” The category is distinct from martyrdom, which only applies to someone who is killed for his or her faith. The new category applies to those who died prematurely through an offering of their life to God and neighbor.
Pope Francis greets a participant in the World Day of the Poor in Rome, Nov. 16, 2017. L’Osservatore Romano.
Nov. 19 — On the first-ever World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis eats lunch with 4,000 poor and people in need in Rome.
Nov. 27–Dec. 2 — In another trip to Asia, Pope Francis travels to Myanmar and Bangladesh. He visits landmarks and meets with government officials, Catholic clergy, and Buddhist monks. He also preaches the Gospel and promotes peace in the region.
2018
Jan. 15–21 — The pope takes another trip to Latin America, this time visiting Chile and Peru. The pontiff meets with government officials and members of the clergy while urging the faithful to remain close to the clergy and reject secularism. The Chilean visit leads to controversy over Chilean clergy sex abuse scandals.
Aug. 2 — The Vatican formally revises No. 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which concerns the death penalty. The previous text suggested the death penalty could be permissible in certain circumstances, but the revision states that the death penalty is “inadmissible.”
Aug. 25 — Archbishop Carlo Viganò, former papal nuncio to the United States, publishes an 11-page letter calling for the resignation of Pope Francis and accusing him and other Vatican officials of covering up sexual abuse including allegations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The pope initially does not directly respond to the letter, but nine months after its publication he denies having prior knowledge about McCarrick’s conduct.
Aug. 25–26 — Pope Francis visits Dublin, Ireland, to attend the World Meeting of Families. The theme is “the Gospel of family, joy for the world.”
Pope Francis at the 2018 World Meeting of Families in Ireland. . Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
Oct. 3–28 — The Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment takes place. The synod focuses on best practices to teach the faith to young people and to help them discern God’s will.
2019
Jan. 22–27 — The third World Youth Day during Pope Francis’ pontificate takes place during these six days in Panama City, Panama. Young Catholics from around the world gather for the event, with approximately 3 million people in attendance.
Feb. 4 — Pope Francis signs a joint document in with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, titled the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.” The document focuses on people of different faiths uniting together to live peacefully and advance a culture of mutual respect.
Pope Francis and Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, signed a joint declaration on human fraternity during an interreligious meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Feb. 4, 2019. Vatican Media.
Feb. 21–24 — The Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church, which is labeled the Vatican Sexual Abuse Summit, takes place. The meeting focuses on sexual abuse scandals in the Church and emphasizes responsibility, accountability, and transparency.
Oct. 6–27 — The Church holds the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, which is also known as the Amazon Synod. The synod is meant to present ways in which the Church can better evangelize the Amazon region but leads to controversy when carved images of a pregnant Amazonian woman, referred to by the pope as Pachamama, are used in several events and displayed in a basilica near the Vatican.
Oct. 13 — St. John Henry Newman, an Anglican convert to Catholicism and a cardinal, is canonized by Pope Francis. Newman’s writings inspired Catholic student associations at nonreligious colleges and universities in the United States and other countries.
2020
March 15 — Pope Francis takes a walking pilgrimage in Rome to the chapel of the crucifix and prays for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. The crucifix was carried through Rome during the plague of 1522.
March 27 — Pope Francis gives an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing in an empty and rain-covered St. Peter’s Square, praying for the world during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pope Francis venerates the miraculous crucifix of San Marcello al Corso in St. Peter’s Square during his Urbi et Orbi blessing, March 27, 2020. Vatican Media.
2021
March 5–8 — In his first papal trip since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis becomes the first pope to visit Iraq. On his trip, he signs a joint statement with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani condemning extremism and promoting peace.
July 3 — Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis, is indicted in a Vatican court for embezzlement, money laundering, and other crimes. The pope gives approval for the indictment.
July 4 — Pope Francis undergoes colon surgery for diverticulitis, a common condition in older people. The Vatican releases a statement that assures the pope “reacted well” to the surgery. Francis is released from the hospital after 10 days.
July 16 — Pope Francis issues a motu proprio titled Traditionis custodes. The document imposes heavy restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Dec. 2–6 — The pope travels to Cyprus and Greece. The trip includes another visit to the Greek island of Lesbos to meet with migrants.
Pope Francis greets His Beatitude Ieronymos II in Athens, Greece on Dec. 5, 2021. Vatican Media
2022
Jan. 11 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to a record store in Rome called StereoSound. The pope, who has an affinity for classical music, blesses the newly renovated store.
March 19 — The pope promulgates Praedicate evangelium, which reforms the Roman Curia. The reforms emphasize evangelization and establish more opportunities for the laity to be in leadership positions.
May 5 — Pope Francis is seen in a wheelchair for the first time in public and begins to use one more frequently. The pope has been suffering from knee problems for months.
Pope Francis greeted the crowd in a wheelchair at the end of his general audience on Aug. 3, 2022. Daniel Ibanez/CNA
July 24–30 — In his first papal visit to Canada, Pope Francis apologizes for the harsh treatment of the indigenous Canadians, saying many Christians and members of the Catholic Church were complicit.
2023
Jan. 31–Feb. 5 — Pope Francis travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. During his visit, the pope condemns political violence in the countries and promotes peace. He also participates in an ecumenical prayer service with Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Moderator of the Church of Scotland Iain Greenshields.
Cardinal Protase Rugambwa at Santa Maria in Montesanto, Feb. 18 / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA
Rome Newsroom, Feb 19, 2024 / 12:30 pm (CNA).
Cardinal Protase Rugambwa took possession of his titular church, Santa Maria in Montesanto — one of the tw… […]
From what I have read elsewhere he touched upon Maradiaga of the Alazraki interview, again doing no credit to his powers of discernment. This is a train wreck. It is not getting better. The bottom of the cliff appears nowhere yet in sight. Will no man occupying the episcopate rescue this man from himself — let alone those of us who inhabit the collateral damage? https://thetablet.org/pope-francis-interview-mccarrick/
Let me see if I understand Francis correctly: Francis removed Zanchetta from his diocese because he was abusing his power and authority and not because he was a homosexual predator abuser. If Francis is to be believed, why then did he create a powerful position for him at the Vatican as overseer of large sums of money? It would be like placing a so-called “John” who claimed to be reformed as manager of a whore house. If he were a recovering alcoholic, would you have him tend bar at Vatican cocktail parties?
Secondly, Francis sent Zanchetta to Spain for a psychiatric evaluation. Francis says that the findings were negative. Yet Zanchetta was referred for monthly sessions of “teeatment.” One does not get “treatment” if the findings of a psychiatric exam are negative. And, besides, Francis tells us that poor, poor Zanchetta had to travel MONTHLY to Spain from Rome for this treatment. At whose expense? So, the person who Francis says had great skills in handling money is flying back and forth from Rome to Spain monthly for “outpatient treatment?” Francis thinks everyone is fooled. I am not.
Either Pope Francis was naive to believe Zanchetta’s lies, or he deliberately promoted and protecting him solely because he is a friend despite him being a corrupt and depraved man. Either way not qualities we are entitled to expect from our Holy Father.
I have been praying that someone high in the Roman Curia will step forth and tell what they knew, when they knew it and who else knew it to perhaps put pressure on
Bergoglio. It appears that the more he speaks the more pressure he puts on HIMSELF! The Roman Curia MUST see this and must be making plans for when the pressure is so great that Bergoglio is forced to resign! We can only keep praying. The good Catholics of the world deserve a Pope we can trust and not one that ignores what the Church is trying to teach! Shame on you, Bergoglio, shame on you!
Under no circumstance should he resign. The Petrine Office is not a position—like a prime minister—in which the office holder should resign when his governance proves unpopular. The Church is not a democracy.
What a complete disaster. This interview is turning out to be such a gold mine for exposing Francis as a fraud. Francis appears to be wrong, lying, and manipulating at every turn from the beginning to the end of the interview. Praying this is the beginning of the official end of this papacy and the cardinals pick a pope who will be nothing like Francis. Keep up the great work, Chris!
This man on his trip to Ireland, dilly dallied about whether he would take an audience with child abuse victims had to backtrack because survivors no longer trust nor respect the church and were quite vocal about their outrage. 8 of us had our say and he was like the nodding dog in the back window of a car. Most left vowing never to set foot in a church again as he was merely going through the motions.
Triumph of the mediocre.
From what I have read elsewhere he touched upon Maradiaga of the Alazraki interview, again doing no credit to his powers of discernment. This is a train wreck. It is not getting better. The bottom of the cliff appears nowhere yet in sight. Will no man occupying the episcopate rescue this man from himself — let alone those of us who inhabit the collateral damage?
https://thetablet.org/pope-francis-interview-mccarrick/
Let me see if I understand Francis correctly: Francis removed Zanchetta from his diocese because he was abusing his power and authority and not because he was a homosexual predator abuser. If Francis is to be believed, why then did he create a powerful position for him at the Vatican as overseer of large sums of money? It would be like placing a so-called “John” who claimed to be reformed as manager of a whore house. If he were a recovering alcoholic, would you have him tend bar at Vatican cocktail parties?
Secondly, Francis sent Zanchetta to Spain for a psychiatric evaluation. Francis says that the findings were negative. Yet Zanchetta was referred for monthly sessions of “teeatment.” One does not get “treatment” if the findings of a psychiatric exam are negative. And, besides, Francis tells us that poor, poor Zanchetta had to travel MONTHLY to Spain from Rome for this treatment. At whose expense? So, the person who Francis says had great skills in handling money is flying back and forth from Rome to Spain monthly for “outpatient treatment?” Francis thinks everyone is fooled. I am not.
Either Pope Francis was naive to believe Zanchetta’s lies, or he deliberately promoted and protecting him solely because he is a friend despite him being a corrupt and depraved man. Either way not qualities we are entitled to expect from our Holy Father.
I have been praying that someone high in the Roman Curia will step forth and tell what they knew, when they knew it and who else knew it to perhaps put pressure on
Bergoglio. It appears that the more he speaks the more pressure he puts on HIMSELF! The Roman Curia MUST see this and must be making plans for when the pressure is so great that Bergoglio is forced to resign! We can only keep praying. The good Catholics of the world deserve a Pope we can trust and not one that ignores what the Church is trying to teach! Shame on you, Bergoglio, shame on you!
Under no circumstance should he resign. The Petrine Office is not a position—like a prime minister—in which the office holder should resign when his governance proves unpopular. The Church is not a democracy.
Protect the crooks at all costs huh?
It is always wrong to force a Pope to resign. That is the worst of precedent.
More so, these are mistakes anyone can make especially when the accused is a friend and the institution works slowly.
What a complete disaster. This interview is turning out to be such a gold mine for exposing Francis as a fraud. Francis appears to be wrong, lying, and manipulating at every turn from the beginning to the end of the interview. Praying this is the beginning of the official end of this papacy and the cardinals pick a pope who will be nothing like Francis. Keep up the great work, Chris!
This man on his trip to Ireland, dilly dallied about whether he would take an audience with child abuse victims had to backtrack because survivors no longer trust nor respect the church and were quite vocal about their outrage. 8 of us had our say and he was like the nodding dog in the back window of a car. Most left vowing never to set foot in a church again as he was merely going through the motions.