Awwww, Snap!

A couple of more Pope Francis stories that will get zero mainstream circulation have hit.

First, the Scalfari interview that we previously mentioned was removed from the Vatican website now turns out to have been the result of shenanigans on the part of the interviewer. Here's the Register's take. Here's my favorite part:

“I try to understand the person I am interviewing, and after that, I write his answers with my own words,” Scalfari explained.

He conceded that it is therefore possible that “some of the Pope’s words I reported were not shared by Pope Francis.”

In other words, "I talk to the person and then I write down the stuff that I would have said." Holy smokes. This guy is allowed to be a journalist? He and Dan Rather are probably huge pals.

Here's hoping (again) the Pope has gotten a huge wake-up call regarding his dealings with the press, whether he thinks they are friendly or not.

On a different note, Pope Francis sent a letter to Cardinal Brandmuller that has a couple of distinguishing characteristics.

First, it gives another example of Pope Francis giving his views as those of a "hermeneutic of continuity" guy.

Second, not only does he throw in with the "continuity" view, he mentions Pope Benedict as a touchstone of such a perspective.

Third, the letter is written in commemoration of the Council.

No, not Vatican II. TRENT.

You are definitely not going to hear the Distorter or America or any of the other McBrienesque publications mentioning that Pope Francis  dropping lines like:

Graciously hearing the very same Holy Ghost, the Holy Church of our age, even now, continues to restore and meditate upon the most abundant doctrine of Trent.

Thank you, Holy Father, for getting this stuff out there. It was greatly needed.