Criticisms towards Pope Francis intensified during the weekend after his intervention in the Order of Malta, with nasty posters plastered on the walls of the city center of Rome. Despite the incident, he delivered his speech about peace, fidelity, solidarity, goodwill, and respect above self-interest during the 2017 Super Bowl .
Anti-Pope Posters Appear on the Walls of Rome
The prints appeared on Saturday, the same day in which he named a top Vatican archbishop Angelo Becciu to be his special envoy to the ancient aristocratic order. While the Pope is depicted as an advocate of peace, his recent weekend turned into a much different tone.
It is reported that about 200 posters criticizing the Pope were plastered around Rome, referencing the “decapitation” of the Order. Depicting the Argentine bishop of Rome, the signs read: “Ah Francis, you’ve taken over congregations, removed priests, decapitated the Order of Malta and the Franciscans of the Immaculate, ignored Cardinals…but where’s your mercy?”
The 80-year-old pope made Archbishop Becciu the second most senior official in the secretariat of Vatican. Apparently, he authorized him with “all the necessary powers” to help in laying the groundwork for the new constitution for the order, lead spiritual renewal of its avowed knights, close collaborate with the other officials, prepare for the election of a new grand master, which is expected in three months.
Within hours, many of the prints were covered with words reading “abusive posting.” The majority of the posters had been cleared out by Sunday morning and none was seen as of Monday. The brief phrase included on the signs was written in Roman dialect, which indicated that the culprit responsible for the action is someone from the conservative sectors of the Church.
Despite that, Pope Francis received the reports about the posters with “serenity and detachment.” He was reportedly unfazed and did not make a big deal out of the situation. In an interview with an Italian publication in November, he admitted that he does not “lose sleep” over his critics and said that resistance is normal in any reform.
Pope Francis Sends Message of Peace and Goodwill for the Super Bowl 2017
Recently, the Pope dropped a Super Bowl message. He said that sporting events like the NFL are “highly symbolic” because it showed that it is possible to “build a culture of encounter and a world of peace.” He explained, “By participating in sport, we are able to go beyond our self-interest.”
The Pope added that people learn to sacrifice, grow in fidelity, and respect the rules. He ended his speech with “May this year’s Super Bowl be a sign of peace, friendship, and solidarity for the world.”
The post Posters Against Pope Francis Appear in Rome Days Ahead of Super Bowl 2017 appeared first on Hall Of Fame Magazine.