Joe Scarborough Jabs at Conservatives in the Church Who ‘Hated’ a ‘Christ-Like’ Pope Francis

Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough praised Pope Francis for remaining “unbowed” as he reflected on the Pope’s “Christ-like” legacy of “inclusivity” – “disappointing” progressives while leave him “hated” by “many conservatives inside the church.”

The Vatican announced early Monday that Francis had died, just hours after his final public appearance in St Peter’s Square to wish “Happy Easter” to thousands of worshippers.

Francis’ time as leader was marked by conversations on tolerance, poverty and the environment, frequently weighing on political discussions. Notably, Francis repeatedly challenged Trump’s immigration policies in pointed ideological clashes — particularly over the treatment of migrants, which Francis made central to his papacy.

Reflecting on the pontiff’s focus on compassion for the marginalized or poor, the Morning Joe crew praised the Pope’s record.

Host Mika Brzezinski began: “Even when he could have the comforts around him of anything of his choosing, he chose to live so simply, with a focus on the humanity of all people. Even, and especially, the poor.”

Noting a refrain from the Pope in 2013 on tolerance toward gay people, she added: “Also, his focus on inclusivity, his outreach to marginalized communities. Those words — “Who am I to judge?” — will echo throughout his legacy.”

Scarborough spoke to add that the pontiff’s past statements on inclusion and migrants that seemed “radical” but were “borrowed from Jesus,” challenged both sides of the political divide:

I was just going to say—the hard right inside the church were shocked that this Pope would actually borrow from Jesus Christ and living that simple, life borrowed from Jesus. They were radical words when he said it. And it was like—it was like the the sound of a cannon when he said it. It just stunned everybody when the pope said: “Who am I to judge?”

Now, why in the world would he say something that radical? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because that’s exactly what Jesus said to the woman at the well, when religious leaders were going to stone her to death.

He continued:

And the thing, Mika, his legacy was remarkable in that Jesus reached out to those who were shunned by religious leaders in society: the lepers, the tax collectors, the sinners like the woman at the well.

And with Francis, conservatives, many conservatives inside the church, hated him for being Christ-like in that respect. Just as the religious leaders of his day hated Jesus. But Francis was unbowed in being inclusive while following the word of the Gospels.

Many on the left were also disappointed, as we heard in Chris’s [reporting] package, that often his words would not lead to changing church doctrine, but even that approach mirrored Jesus, who did say to the woman at the well, said he held no judgement toward her and then said: “Go and sin no more.”

Pope Francis understood the importance of opening wide the doors of the church to everybody. To those who were judged, to those that Jesus opened his faith to. And it really was, Mika, was really radical for the time in which he lived.

And now the big question is, moving forward, which direction does this church go back to? Does it go back to a legacy of, of doctrine and law over love and inclusivity?

Watch above via MSNBC.