Vatican again says Pope was misquoted by Italian journalist

November 02, 2015

The Vatican has denied that Pope Francis told an Italian journalist that all divorced-and-remarried Catholics will soon be allowed to receive Communion.

Eugenio Scalfari of La Repubblica wrote that the Pontiff told him, in a telephone interview, that during the October meeting of the Synod of Bishops, the prelates accepted the principle that divorced and remarried Catholics should receive the Eucharist. Scalfari reported that the Pope when on to say that in the near future, “all the divorced who ask will be admitted” to Communion.

However, Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, told the National Catholic Register that Scalfari’s report was inaccurate. The Vatican spokesman said that the story in La Repubblica “is in no way reliable and cannot be considered as the Pope’s thinking.”

On two separate occasions in the past, the Vatican has said that Pope Francis was misquoted by Scalfari. The Italian journalist, who is 91 years old and identifies himself as an atheist, readily admits that he does not record his conversations with the Pontiff, but reconstructs quotations from memory after the fact. Father Lombardi reminded reporters:

As has already occurred in the past, Scalfari refers in quotes what the Pope supposedly told him, but many times it does not correspond to reality, since he does not record nor transcribe the exact words of the Pope, as he himself has said many times.

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• Fr. Lombardi: Latest Scalfari Article on Pope 'In No Way Reliable' (National Catholic Register)
• Vatican denies Pope told Italian journalist that ‘all divorced’ will be admitted to Communion (Catholic Herald)
• Italian journalist admits inaccuracies in controversial papal interview (CWN, 11/22/13)
• Vatican questions accuracy of new newspaper interview with Pope Francis (CWN, 7/11/14)