Kristina Keneally slams Pope Francis’ announcement about women priest bans

Former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally hasn’t minced words in slamming the Pope’s announcement that he stands by a ban on women becoming priests.

Kristina Keneally.

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Pope Francis shocked many when he ruled out women ever becoming priests at a press conference aboard a plane taking him back to Rome from Sweden.

But no-one was more outraged than former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally — who has claimed she always knew the head of the Catholic Church was “a fraud”.

“I have said for two to three years that this pope is a fraud,” Ms Keneally said.

Kristina Keneally is the former NSW Premier.

“All those progressives out there say ‘no he isn’t, he’s lovely; he likes women, he visits prisons, he’s for refugees, he’s going to change the church ...’

“He hasn’t changed one damn thing about the organisation of the Catholic Church.

“If he died tomorrow, the church would go back to being the same patriarchal, outdated, outmoded institution that it is ... in fact, he doesn’t have to die tomorrow, he’s confirmed today that nothing is ever going to change in this institution.”

Pope Francis. Picture: Tiziana Fabi

The Pope officially shut the door on female priesthood at the priesthood, and Ms Keneally said she didn’t believe the Catholic Church “speaks to the modern world”

“If you let women get ordained, you’d suddenly have priests again,” she said.

“Let’s remember ... Jesus did not have a fear of people with vaginas. The Vatican does It’s just utterly ridiculous in this day-and-age.

“God forbid we have a female parish priest up the road here, that would be the end of humanity apparently”.