Scandal in the Church: Who are the priests who pray for Pope Francis to die?

Some priests in Spain have generated controversy on social networks after stating during a live broadcast on YouTube that They pray that Pope Francis “can go to heaven as soon as possible”. After the controversy, the religious themselves came out in step recognizing that it is a “comment in bad taste” and that “it does not express death wishes” towards the pontiff.

The statements had been made on February 22 in a conversation on YouTube called “The Sacristy of the Vendée.” A counter-revolutionary priestly gathering”, which is directed by Francisco José Delgado Martín, diocesan priest of Toledo, Spain.

While they were making presentations at this gathering, Gabriel Calvo Zarraute -priest of the diocese of Toledo- stated: “I also pray a lot for the pope, so that he can go to heaven as soon as possible.”

This was joined by the American priest Charles Murr, who said: “I also join Father Gabriel’s prayers for the Holy Father” and Calvo Zarraute replied “there are many of us with that intention.”

In addition, moderator Francisco José Delgado Martín stressed: “let’s see if we pray harder.”

Of course, these statements soon went viral and generated all kinds of comments, many of them rejecting the priests’ controversial statements.

Given this, The organizers of the talk expressed, through their account on the social network

“It is a comment in bad taste and, although it does not express wishes for the death of the pope, as some media have maliciously spread, we understand that it can be understood that way,” they acknowledged.

Besides, They affirmed that they reject the attacks against Pope Francis and reiterated their “adhesion” to the pontiff.

Call for attention to priests

The Archdiocese of Toledo, to which the priests belong, issued a statement rejecting what happened. In the document, he states that has informed the priests “of the need to ask forgiveness for such statements that harm the communion of the Church and scandalize the People of God.”

He adds that “corrective measures are not excluded with respect to those who are called to be ministers of Christ, at the service of unity and evangelical life in the Church, avoiding all conduct that discredits their status.”