Jesuit Publisher to Pope: ‘Be a Man! … Answer the Questions!’

Photo:  Rev. Joseph Fessio, SJ. (YouTube)

By Michael W. Chapman, CNSNews, September 27, 2018

Rev. Joseph Fessio, the renowned Jesuit founder of Ignatius Press books and the founding provost of Ave Maria University, called on Pope Francis to stop ignoring difficult questions from faitful Catholics and, when it comes to what he knew about the homosexual predator Bishop Theodore McCarrick, to “Be a man. Stand up and answer the questions.”

Fr. Fessio made his remarks in reference to allegations on Aug. 22 by Archbishop Carlo Vigano, the former papal nuncio to the United States, that Pope Francis was informed about sanctions against McCarrick in 2013 but chose to lift those sanctions and allow the sexual abuser to carry on as a cardinal of the Church. Vigano called on Pope Francis, and other prelates. to resign for protecting McCarrick, who sexually abused at least one boy and reportedly dozens of young semnarians over the last 40 years.

Pope Francis refused to answer Vigano’s claims, which were detailed in a lengthy testimony released on Aug. 22, 2018.

“I will not say a single word on this,” said the Pope. However, Pope Francis did make some not-so-veiled references to Vigano and other critics as doing the work of “the Great Accuser,” Satan, by exposing the “sins” of the bishops.

In a Sept. 23 interview with CNN, Fr. Fessio said of the Pope, “He’s attacking Vigano and everyone who is asking for answers. I just find that terrible.”

“Be a man,” said Fr. Fessio. “Stand up and answer the questions.

In a later interview with Life Site News, Fr. Fessio commented, “I think the idea that I’m expressing there is a valid idea, and even if I tempered it somewhat, I think it should be said. And maybe … it will help the Pope to have some straight-talking. He seems to want to have openness, doesn’t he? He talks about frankness and openness and don’t be afraid to say what’s on your mind.”

“So I said what was on my mind, and not just my mind,” he added, “it’s on a lot of people’s minds.”

Fr. Fessio also said that one must respect the office of the papacy and the Pope himself “to the extent that we can.” If he could speak Pope Francis, Fr. Fessio said he would tell him there needs to be “transparency.”

He added that he would say to the Pope, “You’re giving the appearance of criticizing anyone who asks you a … difficult question. And that appearance is not good. You have to do your best to answer questions, whether you think they are honest questions or not. If the questions themselves are substantive, then an answer is required.”

Fr. Fessio also stressed that the fundamental problem with the sexual abuse problem in the Catholic Church is homosexual clergy.

It is not “clericalism,” he said. “There’s … the misleading interpretation by high church officials [that this is] a question of clericalism, it’s not homosexuality. Well, no, wait a second. Anyone with eyes to see will recognize that 80% of the cases are priest on male.”

h/t LifeSiteNews

https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-w-chapman/jesuit-publisher-pope-be-man-answer-questions