Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough condemned conservatives who “hated” the late “Christ-like” Pope Francis for promoting “inclusivity.”
In a Monday segment, the MSNBC host reflected on the pontiff’s compassion for the poor and marginalized after the Vatican’s announcement that Francis died following his final public appearance in St. Peter’s Square for Easter.
“The hard right inside the church were shocked that this Pope would actually borrow from Jesus Christ and living that simple life borrowed from Jesus,” he said. “And it was like—it was like the sound of a cannon when he said it. It just stunned everybody when the pope said: ‘Who am I to judge?’”
During his time, Francis consistently drew attention to issues like tolerance, poverty, and environmental stewardship, often influencing political discourse.
He notably engaged in sharp ideological disagreements with Donald Trump, especially over immigration policies, as he placed the dignity and rights of migrants at the heart of his papal mission. In fact, he expressed these very same ideas to JD Vance when he met him the day he died.
Scarborough told his co-host Mika Brzezinski that Francis’ legacy was “remarkable,” as he, like Jesus, wanted to help those who were shunned by religious leaders in society: “the lepers, the tax collectors, the sinners like the woman at the well.”
“And with Francis, conservatives, many conservatives inside the church, hated him for being Christ-like in that respect. Just as the religious leaders of his day hated Jesus,” Scarborough said. “But Francis was unbowed in being inclusive while following the word of the Gospels.”
Scarborough pointed out that Francis often “disappointed” progressives when his words failed to translate into action, such as changing church doctrine.
However, overall, the pope opened his heart and the doors of the church to anyone, and this approach “was really radical for the time in which he lived.”
Brzezinski seemed to second this: “Even when he could have the comforts around him of anything of his choosing, he chose to live so simply, with a focus on the humanity of all people.”
The post ‘Morning Joe’ Slams Conservatives Who Hated Pope Francis appeared first on The Daily Beast.
