Cardinal revealed as an outright two-faced liar who, even worse, tried to take an honest lay journalist down with him:
Today’s qualified apology for the remarks follows an initial outright denial last week that he ever said the recorded comments. On Thursday, Kasper issued a statement saying he was “appalled” by his remarks as they were reported, saying, “I have never spoken this way about Africans and I never would.”
On Friday, after Pentin published the audio file of the interview on his website, Kasper again denied his comments and went further, accusing Pentin of bad journalistic practices, including recording him “secretly.”
Pentin said that the instant availability of information on the Internet, and the ability of the public to verify information, has been a game-changer, making it harder for special interest groups within the Vatican, even inside Synod’s own administration, to manipulate its message. He cited the “instant uproar” on Twitter and Facebook following the release of the Synod’s mid-point Relatio on Monday as “really useful” in thwarting the plans to “steer” the Synod in a particular direction.
“They know they can’t get away with this kind of manipulation any more.” Social media, he said, “gives voice, probably for the first time to the silent majority. That silent majority has until now been so easy to ignore.”
