Pope Francis wrapped up a troubled visit to Belgium on Sunday by doubling down on his traditional views on women and abortion and demanding that Catholic bishops stop covering up for predator priests — a scandal that has devastated the church’s credibility around the globe.

Francis revisited the key thorny topics of his trip to Belgium during his in-flight press conference coming home, praising Belgium’s late King Baudouin as a “saint” for having abdicated for a day in 1990 rather than sign legislation legalizing abortion.

    • palordrolap@fedia.io
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      1 month ago

      A religious man I once knew reckoned the world would end if we ever had a black pope. Consequently, I kind of want to see that happen before they quit. (He wasn’t talking about the position sometimes known as “black pope” either. He definitely meant a man of recent African descent.)

      I like to think the idea of Desmond Tutu gave him the creeps.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
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        1 month ago

        Desmond Tutu was an Anglican, not a Catholic.

        He also said something very pithy, but quite odd for an Anglican Archbishop to say-

        When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said 'Let us pray. ’ We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.