Pope Francis sat down with 60 Minutes in an interview that aired Sunday for a wide-ranging discussion on various topics.
Amongst his answers to the interviewer, he outlined a “suicidal attitude” he sees as a problem for conservatives and warned against anti-immigration policies supported by many in the United States.
Pope Interview
CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell asked the Pope his opinion on many questions ranging from same-sex couples, immigration, and more.
Pope Francis responded to her questions in Spanish, with an overlaid English translation playing before O’Donnell asked the next question.
Suicidal Attitude
O’Donnell asked the Pope how he addressed criticism from conservative bishops who are not happy about him revisiting teachings and traditions.
“You used an adjective, “conservative.” That is, conservative is one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that. It is a suicidal attitude.” Pope Francis said.
Dogmatic Box
The Pope continued, delivering harsh words for conservatives, particularly in America who hold too tightly to traditions.
“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,” Francis said.
Migration Helps a Country Grow
Part of the discussion centered around migrants, where the Pope stressed it was important to treat them with compassion.
“Migration is something that makes a country grow. They say that you Irish migrated and brought the whiskey, and that the Italians migrated and brought the mafia… (laugh) It’s a joke. Don’t take it badly. But, migrants sometimes suffer a lot. They suffer a lot,” said Francis.
Undocumented Migrants
O’Donnell brings up the undocumented migrant crisis in America, where record numbers of immigrants are surging across the border. The Pope calls out the madness of closing the border.
“That is madness. Sheer madness. To close the border and leave them there, that is madness. The migrant has to be received. Thereafter 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. Right?,” Francis said.
Ugly Disease
In the interview, Francis railed against what he termed as a globalization of indifference to people’s suffering across the world.
“It’s indifference. That is what happens when the heart hardens… and becomes indifferent. Please, we have to get our hearts to feel again. We cannot remain indifferent in the face of such human dramas. The globalization of indifference is a very ugly disease. Very ugly,” said the Pope.
US Migrant Crisis
US Border Patrol encounters with undocumented migrants peaked in December to be over 300,000. This was a historic influx that has since been straining the budgets of American cities as migrants demand social services and resources.
Many conservatives and even Democrats are pushing for Biden to strengthen border security, and the Pope’s condemnation of conservatives and the border will put him at odds with some in the United States.
Same-Sex Blessings
CBS reporter O’Donnell asked the Pope about a controversial decision to allow Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, which some saw as an endorsement of gay marriage. However, Francis clarified the meaning behind this move.
“No, what I allowed was not to bless the union. That cannot be done because that is not the sacrament. I cannot. The Lord made it that way. But to bless each person, yes. The blessing is for everyone. For everyone. To bless a homosexual-type union, however, goes against the given right, against the law of the Church. But to bless each person, why not? The blessing is for all. Some people were scandalized by this. But why? Everyone! Everyone!,” said Francis.
Dismissal of Critics
Last year, Pope Francis dismissed a conservative bishop in Texas called Joseph Strickland who was a fierce critic of him. Strickland had been telling his worshippers that the Pope was undermining the Catholic faith with an “evil and false message.”
Raymond Burke, another conservative American critic, was stripped of some of his Vatican privileges last year.
Atmosphere of Fear
After his unprecedented dismissal, Strickland worried about an “atmosphere of fear” that was setting in at the Catholic Church.
Some saw the rare removal of a bishop in this way as a consequence of how cultural wars have polarized Catholics and turned them against each other.
Conservative Rise in the United States
In recent years, there has been a growing movement of conservative worshippers and priests in the Catholic church, though US Catholic worshippers as a whole slightly lean liberal.
A report from the Catholic University of America released last year of newly confirmed priests found that liberal priests in the US are facing extinction. None of the priests ordained in 2020 described themselves as “very progressive.”
