"Zeit" published a preview of an interview with Pope Francis, in which the pontiff highlighted the importance of taking a critical approach to matters of faith. Francis told the weekly newspaper that any kind of faith that didn't face times of crisis "remains infantile. [...]
"We mustn't forget that any form of idealization of a human being
always brings a subliminal brand of aggression with it as well. If I am
idealized I feel under attack," the Pope said, rejecting the personality
cult that some members of the Church are cultivating.
Francis
also told "Zeit" that he does not consider himself to be special in any
way, saying about himself: "I, too, am a sinner, and am fallible." [...]
"Populism
means using the people," Pope Francis said, adding that it would always
seek its justification in a compulsion to preserve the identity of the
people. Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, had
previously compared the trend of growing populism with the rise of Hitler in Germany. He
further said that populism always required "a messiah" figure to
succeed, hinting at its incompatibility with Christian values and
highlighting its foundation in fear while spreading a message of hope
for people living under growing oppression:
