Blir pave Frans ikke sittende særlig lenge?

Vi har lest ulike nyhetsmeldinger de siste dagene, som pave Frans kommer til å gå av om ikke mange år. Man bør ikke stole på alt som står i avisene eller på nettet, for ofte misforstår journalistene en hel del. Men når det gjelder internasjonale katolske nyheter, stoler jeg alltid på John Allen. Og han skriver 14/3 om denne saken:

Pope Francis marked the second anniversary of his election on Friday with yet another blockbuster media interview, this one with the Mexican network Televisa. One headline from the conversation with veteran Vatican reporter Valentina Alazraki focused on his expectations for a short papacy.

As he has on other occasions, Francis hinted that he doesn’t expect to be around very long. “I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief … four or five years. I don’t know, even two or three,” he said. The pontiff called this nothing more than a “vague sensation.”

“Maybe it’s like the psychology of the gambler who convinces himself he will lose so he won’t be disappointed, and if he wins, he’s happy,” Francis said. “But I feel that the Lord has placed me here for a short time, and nothing more … But I always leave the possibility open.”

This isn’t the first time the pontiff has augured a short reign. …..

Allen legger til at paven har snakket om dette bare når han har blitt direkte spurt om det, at han var 76 år da han ble valgt, og at alle husker meget godt hvordan pave Benedikt abdiserte for to år siden. Så skriver han videre:

And yet … if you want a five-star, banner headline-style insight about this pope, here it is: Beneath his humble, simple exterior lies the mind of a brilliant politician. He’s a media- and politics-savvy figure, and so the question has to be asked: What political advantage does Francis derive from publicly suggesting he’ll have a short shelf life?

Three points suggest themselves.

1. Mobilizing his base
First, it helps Francis mobilize his base by dropping hints that they may not have very long to take full advantage of having him at the top of the system. …

2. Putting off the opposition
Logically speaking, forecasts of a short papacy might have the same impact on his opposition, but in fact, they may actually have the effect of encouraging it to bide its time. …

3. Making the job manageable
The third advantage Francis may derive from talking about a short papacy is making the job more manageable for himself.

As it’s come to be understood in our time, the papacy is really an impossible post. …

Les mer hos John Allen selv.