Archbishop of Paris says Pope doesn’t have to be Schwarzenegger or Superman

Paris, France, Feb 8, 2005 / 22:00 pm

The Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Jean Marie Lustiger, said today, “The Pope does not need to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger, the govenor of California, and look like Superman in order to govern the Church.”

In an interview for RTL Radio, the cardinal explained that the “work of the Pope is to put the words of Jesus Christ into practice.”

“He is showing and personally living what all Christians are called to live. And he is an example of something which, in my opinion, is understood by many people,” he added.

“The Pope is governing the Church, because the Church is not like the Paris Saint Germain soccer team, where the coach is fired because the results are not good.”

Regarding the possibility of papal retirement, Cardinal Lustiger stated, “There are very strict and precise norms, almost like a judicial code.”

The Pope’s illness, he continued, “is not harming his mental factulties.” “We have a man with physical difficulties leading the Church. He shows us that this weakness can be a sign of strength and this is part of the Christian message,” the cardinal said.