When you're staggering and ineffectual, blame the devil!

[True Dough]

Beelzebub, you befuddling bastard!

Pope Francis on Sunday said that the devil is trying to divide and attack the Catholic Church, as the Vatican wrestles with a series of sexual abuse scandals amid accusations that Francis covered for priests accused of sexual misconduct.

Francis said the church should also be more aware of “its guilt, its mistakes and abuses.”

"[The church must be] saved from the attacks of the malign one, the great accuser and at the same time be made ever more aware of its guilt, its mistakes, and abuses committed in the present and the past," Francis said from his balcony in Rome, Reuters reports.

He implored Catholics worldwide to pray every day throughout October for the Church to prevail through the devil's assault.

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/410401-pope-says-devil-trying-to-divide-attack-the-catholic-church

[uriel1972]

1. Yes, all those priests were corrupted by the devil no doubt...

Just to harm the Church. Nothing to do with the Cover-ups and the moving and promoting of those priests... absolutely nothing, I'm sure.

[edhopper]

2. And we are not supposed to have a problem with him

believing in the literal devil.
no metaphor here, Satan as an actual being.
Yeah, progressive Church there.

[trotsky]

4. They still think people can literally be possessed by a demon.

Welcome to the 14th century.

[Mariana]

6. Doesn't he believe in the literal God?

Believing in the literal God. No metaphor here, God as an actual being. I don't see much difference.

[edhopper]

9. So the Pope is a Bible

literalist?
you think he believes in Adam and Eve, Noah?

[Mariana]

10. The Bible is a big book.

He probably picks and chooses which parts of it to literally believe, and which parts are "metaphors" or "allegories" or whatever. Just like every other Christian does.

[edhopper]

11. And he decided the Devil was real?

silly Pope.

[3Hotdogs]

3. In this, and other historical events, the Church was the evil.

Maybe still is. Where is Cardinal Vernon Law?

[MineralMan]

5. Don't look now, Papa, but the call is coming from inside your house.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455857/

[Voltaire2]

7. Is this a literal devil or a metaphoric devil?

I swear we’ve been told repeatedly that all the goofy bullshit is just metaphoric.

[uriel1972]

8. There is usually a bit trying to have it both ways...

with a side of hand-waving.