Marine Le Pen: Catholic but not papist
Audio 02:30
Marine Le Pen, president of the National Rally (RN).
© AFP / Alberto Pizzoli
By: Anne Soetemondt Follow
5 mins
The first opponent of Matteo Salvini, the Pope is now worried about the coming to power of Marine Le Pen in France.
A political position criticized by the president of the National Rally (RN).
A presidential candidate, she therefore decided to raise her voice, even if it meant further complicating her relations with Catholic voters.
Publicity
“
I have no doubt that many believers would be delighted for the Pope to deal with what is happening in churches rather than at the ballot box.
"
Marine Le Pen
's
reaction
to
the
Obs
article
relating the remarks made by the Pope during a meeting with Cyril Dion at the citizens' convention will not have been long in coming.
François would have expressed his "
concern
" at the idea of a victory for Marine Le Pen in 2022.
"
What is he meddling with?
“, We reacted within the RN.
Special advisor to the president of the National Gathering, Philippe Olivier, even sees it as a new illustration of a "
general bailout of the system
".
Are we to understand that the Pope is a political activist?
One thing is certain: Argentinian, Pope Francis is marked by the dictatorship that his country has known.
His pro-migrant and anti-Salvini positions have also annoyed part of the Italian political and media class.
"
I prefer the traditional popes who talk about spirituality,
" said RN deputy Sébastien Chenu.
"
I preferred John Paul II, who was anti-Communist,
" adds Philippe Olivier, who remembers with nostalgia the meeting during a public audience at Saint-Pierre square between Jean-Marie Le Pen and the Polish sovereign pontiff.
An image also used by the co-founder of the FN in a brochure sent to mayors to collect their sponsorship in anticipation of the presidential campaign of 1988.
Does Marine Le Pen take a political risk to criticize Pope Francis at one year and some from 2022?
Not really.
The 2022 presidential candidate actually has little to lose.
She has already distanced herself from Catholic circles, thus marking a break with her father.
For example, she did not demonstrate against homosexual marriage alongside the demonstration for all in 2013. "
The priests, it's not my thing
", she would say in private.
In 2017, practicing Catholics were not mistaken, voting more for François Fillon than for her.
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Marine Le Pen
Presidential France 2022
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