A Surprise Visitor to the Vatican

One might hesitate to call God’s Vicar on Earth a communist, but it seems most likely that, between his other duties, Pope Francis will have read the New Testament and picked up on some of the teachings of Jesus Christ.

The Pope, known dismissively by his surname as ‘Citizen Bergoglio’ in certain circles, is – we read – in reality neither right nor left; and a story goes that when, back in 2015, ‘…an overly-enthusiastic Bolivian President Evo Morales presented him with a cross in the shape of a hammer and sickle, the pontiff looked as if he had been handed a dead animal.

“That is not good,” he reportedly told Morales…’.

This past Saturday, Yolanda Díaz, the Second Vice-president of Spain and Minister of Labour (and member of Izquierda Unida), was granted an audience with the Pope – an exception politically speaking, as the Pope normally only receives heads of state.

elDiario.es says ‘The meeting held in the Vatican by the pontiff and the vice president becomes a prominent chapter in the criticism and insults that the conservative Catholic sector utters to the Argentine Jesuit who speaks of the rights of migrants and the poor and who asks for forgiveness for the events of the past…’. Perhaps, says El País, the message was simply that the Pope wants us to understand that he will always support social justice and offer hope to the poor and the downtrodden (viz. his message of ‘las tres Ts – tierra, trabajo y techo’ – broadly: nationality, work and a roof over one’s head).

Thus, the 40-minute ‘cumbre comunista’ (the Communist summit), where the substance of the meeting has largely not been revealed (at the Vatican’s behest).  Yolanda Díaz merely describing it afterwards as ‘muy emocionante’. El Mundo nevertheless reports that the subject close to both – better labour conditions – was the main subject under discussion.

La Sexta brings us some of the reasons why the Spanish Right doesn’t approve of El Papa. The apology to the Mexicans for the sins of the conquistadores; his comments on the Spanish Civil War dead who’s bones are still lying in the ditches – and his support for a basic living wage (with video). There’s the fact that Pope Francis is a Jesuit (Spain in under the shadow of the Opus Dei, bitter rivals to the Jesuits). And also, needless to say, his audience with the upstart Commie lady…

Religión Digital reports that La Conferencia Episcopal (the Spanish bishops) are not entirely at ease with the Pope’s recent actions – with Isabel Celáa (the ex-Government spokesperson) approved as the new Spanish ambassador to the Holy See, and of course the surprise visit of Minister Díaz. Indeed, a tranche of Spanish bishops (including some leading critics of the current Bishop of Rome) will be meeting with the Pope today, Thursday – no doubt to test the waters.