During an upcoming episode of 60 Minutes, Pope Francis expressed his belief that conservatives exhibit a narrow-mindedness that can be detrimental, referring to it as a “suicidal attitude.” The pontiff explained that conservatives tend to hold onto their beliefs without considering alternative perspectives. “One thing is to take tradition into account and consider situations from the past but quite another is to be closed up inside a dogmatic box,” he adds.
https://x.com/60Minutes/status/1791188112518881684
During his 11-year pontificate, Pope Francis had never engaged in a comprehensive one-on-one interview with a U.S. television network. The Pope has consistently expressed his disapproval of Americans, and in August 2023, he openly expressed his regret over the conservative Catholics in the United States and their perceived “backwardism.”
“The situation is not easy in the United States, where there is a very strong reactionary attitude,” the pontiff told a group of Jesuits. “It is organized and shapes the way people belong, even emotionally.”
“I would like to remind those people that ‘backwardism’ is useless, and we need to understand that there is an appropriate evolution in the understanding of matters of faith and morals,” the pope said.
“Our understanding of the human person changes with time, and our consciousness also deepens,” he stated. “The other sciences and their evolution also help the Church in this growth in understanding.”
“The view of Church doctrine as monolithic is erroneous,” he added.
“The problems that moralists have to examine today are very serious, and, to deal with them, they have to take the risk of making changes,” he asserted.