Epstein Files Reveal Ties to Catholic Conservatives Anti-Francis Campaign

[LisaM]

https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/epstein-files-reveal-ties-catholic-conservatives-anti-francis-campaign

[Scubamatt]

1. It almost makes you . . .

start believing in conspiracy theories. What we've seen from the far right since the effort to take down Clinton in the 90s (and now news is breaking that Ken Starr and Epstein were buddies?) seems far too well orchestrated, admittedly with hindsight.

[rampartd]

2. if "80% of the vatican clergy" were involved trump would be protecting them

or maybe francis wouldn't let trump wear his pointy hat?

[Cirsium]

3. Excerpts

Newly released files by the U.S. Department of Justice show that convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein and former Trump aide Steve Bannon discussed strategies to undermine Pope Francis, revealing how the Vatican was viewed as a geopolitical pressure point by Epstein's network of political and financial leaders.
...
The correspondence between Epstein and Bannon took place at the height of concerted conservative efforts to oppose Francis, who had signaled his openness toward LGBTQ Catholics and divorced or remarried Catholics and who expressed concern for migrants and the environment in his public statements and written documents.

Overall, Francis had shifted the church's tone from his immediate predecessors' emphasis on enforcing doctrine, toward inclusion. The 2014-15 Synod on the Family, a meeting of Catholic bishops in Rome, broadened the church's views on family life and ended with an apostolic exhortation that preached about "a church of mercy." In its wake, conservative cardinals — including Burke — issued a challenge, known as a dubia, to Francis' teaching.
...
Epstein is often dismissive toward the papacy and Francis in the released correspondence. When Francis visited the U.S. in 2015, Epstein noted that the pope was staying near Epstein's residence in New York. "I thought id invite him for a massage," Epstein wrote in an email to his brother, Mark Epstein, followed by lewd remarks.

[twodogsbarking]

4. There is a history of clergy sexually abusing children. Birds of a feather eh.

[mopinko]

5. my main beef a him was that he did nothing about the pedo priests.

guess now i know y.