Fox's Geraldo Rivera Is “Filled With Embarrassment And Humiliation” By Brian Kilmeade's Criticisms Of The Pope
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
From the September 25 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:
GERALDO RIVERA: I am delighted that he's here. I am absolutely filled with awe, at his radiance and at his compassio, and at his message. I am filled with embarrassment and humiliation that my beloved Brian Kilmeade actually suggested last week that the pope was in the wrong country.
BRIAN KILMEADE: Well, I just-- when he came out and said he doesn't like capitalism --
RIVERA: Come on, he's the pope.
KILMEADE: I know he's the pope, but we are America and I think most of the things that we do are for good, and justice, and --
RIVERA: Oh, of course! But he's the pope.
KILMEADE: Now he's going to the United Nations. And now he's going to get to see a lot of people and send a message to Russia, China, all these Middle Eastern nations that are beheading Christians, should he use this opportunity to say that?
RIVERA: First of all I want to say that when you're young you have to be liberal or you have no heart. When you're old you have to be conservative or you have no brain. I believe that that generally is the evolution. Still when it's the pope involved you've got to give them incredible slack. This is the head of the 1.2 billion member Catholic Church. Now, what he's going to talk about yes, I think that, you know, the big cosmic issues of climate change, and immigration, and other --
KILMEADE: Peace. General peace.
RIVERA: General peace on earth. And hopefully he can help broker this meeting with Putin and President Obama on Monday. But now, he'll direct himself I think to more traditional theological questions like the right to life, abortion and all --
KILMEADE: Why? You have brutality raging across the world. You have Vladimir Putin invading other countries chopping up people. You have a Muslim population, an extreme Muslim population that's allowing the beheading of Christians. Use this opportunity to say it.
RIVERA: Because he has this unique role as the healer in chief. It is his job to try to bring people to the, to gently nudge people in the direction of the teaching --
KILMEADE: So nudge.