How America Wanted to Change the Pope–It's an Honour !

Pope Francis says ‘it’s an honor that Americans are attacking me’

In How America Wanted to Change the Pope, released earlier this month - though yet to be translated into English - Senèze examines the whirlwind events of the last year following former papal representative to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s, public calls for Francis to resign over his handling of the abuse crisis.

While Francis initially chose silence in the face of those charges - telling journalists to do their homework to examine Viganò’s claims - in an informal conversation with Senèze while traveling to Africa this month, he said that he considers it “an honor that Americans are attacking me.” Senèze tells Crux that he believes the pope is speaking out now to resist the “powerful minority” that could lead the Church into schism.

Crux: Do you believe the resistance to Francis in the United States is stronger than in any other country? 

Senèze: I am not sure that the opposition to Francis is stronger in the United States than elsewhere. 

Pope Francis still retains the confidence of a majority of U.S. Catholics, even if it is in decline, mainly because of a powerful campaign to tarnish his image.