When all is said and done, he is the persecuted one.

Some conservatives have argued that Francis, who constantly denounces walls and champions the building of bridges, has shut them out by ignoring their formal complaints that he is diluting church doctrine and leading the faithful astray. They argue that when even his top Cardinals present him with such criticism, Francis responds with pink slips.

But Francis claimed that he respected such critics. “This is loyal,” he said. “This is to love the church.”

He should name them, even (maybe?) talk to them — and not to dress them down in private.

What he didn’t appreciate, he said, were “little closed groups” who refuse to hear an answer to their critiques, or worse, who feigned allegiance by “throwing a stone and hiding the hand.”

“I don’t like it when the criticism is under the table and they smile and show their teeth,” he said. “And then there is a knife in the back.”

Oh the bastard children! When will they ever learn?

He suffers, like contradicted fathers the world over.

via Pope Francis: ‘I Pray There Are No Schisms’ – The New York Times

He has a message for critics, but to newsies, not to them.

He discusses them with others, not deigning to engage them directly:

Some of Francis’ closest allies have in recent months publicly said that he is the target of a conspiracy by conservative enemies who are threatened by the more pastoral direction that he has taken the church.

One close adviser, Antonio Spadaro, a prominent Jesuit who edits the Vatican-vetted magazine, Civiltà Cattolica, has accused American Catholic ultraconservatives of making an unholy alliance of “hate” with evangelical Christians to help President Trump.

The ineffable Spadaro!

Francis plays the benign daddy, who knows and pities his children.

On the plane, Francis suggested that some of his most ardent critics were working out their own problems by lashing out.

Poor souls!

“We have to be gentle, gentle with the people tempted by these attacks, by these things,” he said. “Because they are going through problems and we should accompany them with gentleness.”

Their problems, not his. From his bully pulpit.

via New York Times