Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves of Toledo has recently publicly criticized a group of priests for their inappropriate remarks concerning Pope Francis.

The controversy arose from a conversation on “The Sacristy of the Vendée,” a YouTube show where priests from various Spanish-speaking countries gather to discuss religious, social, and political topics. During one of their discussions, a priest from Toledo made a comment about praying for Pope Francis “to go to heaven as soon as possible,” a sentiment that was met with laughter and support from his colleagues.

Archbishop Chaves was quick to address the issue, issuing a statement on the archdiocese’s website to express his “profound rejection” of the disrespectful comments.

He emphasized that such remarks do not reflect the position of the archdiocese and hinted at potential “corrective measures” against the priests involved. The Archbishop urged the priests to seek forgiveness and show respect and affection towards Pope Francis and his ministry.

Afterwards, the Sacristy of the Vendée group took to their X platform account to issue an apology. They clarified that the comment was intended to be humorous and did not genuinely wish for the Pope’s death. Despite the attempt at clarification, they acknowledged the poor taste of the joke and reiterated their loyalty to Pope Francis and the Catholic Church.

Pray for Pope Francis!

🙏

Editorial credit: Pavel Mikheyev / Shutterstock.com
Love uCATHOLIC?
Get our inspiring content delivered to your inbox every morning - FREE!