MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Pope Francis defends the resigned archbishop of Paris, victim of “injustice”

Pope was critical of the media: when gossip grows, “takes away the reputation of a person, that man will not be able to govern, and that is an injustice”

The “sins of the flesh are not the most serious” said Pope Francis this week in reference to the recent resignation of the Archbishop of Paris. However, he condemned the “injustice” of the resignation of Michel Aupetit, because of media reports about an alleged intimate relation of the archbishop with a woman.

Aupetit denied categorically such a relation and a diocese spokeswoman indicated that “he had an ambiguous behavior with a person he was very close to”, and it was no loving or sexual relation.

Aupetit later said he wanted to protect the diocese from the division that always provokes suspicion and the loss of confidence.

But the Pope was critical of the media, “when gossip grows, grows and takes away the reputation of a person, that man will not be able to govern, and that is an injustice”.

“And that is why I accepted Aupetit's resignation, not on the altar of truth, but on the altar of hypocrisy. I we don't know the accusation, we cannot condemn”.

Nevertheless Francis admitted a sin, “not total but a few caresses and massages he gave to his secretary”. But “it is not the most serious of sins, because sins of the flesh are not the most serious”.

However yes, Aupetir is a sinner as I am, as was Peter, the bishop on whom Christ founded his church”