The Pope Confronts a Conspiracy Theory
September 11, 2019
During the press conference held on the plane that took him to Mozambique, Pope Francis alluded to a conspiracy theory funded from the United States, which aimed to destabilize the Argentine sovereign pontiff.
Certainly, the papal journeys are rich in air turbulence. The latest air pocket was that of September 4, 2019, when Pope Francis, in route to Mozambique, threw out a somewhat humorous comment, “for me, it is an honor that Americans attack me.”
A short sentence immediately “defused” by the Vatican press spokesman who made assurances that there was no malice in the words. “In an informal context, the Pope wanted to say that he always considers criticisms an honor, particularly when they come from authoritative thinkers and, in this case, an important nation,” commented Matteo Bruni, with the consummate art of rhetoric.