Father Lombardi Issues Another Denial

Reports that a 91-year old woman who once worked with Blessed Teresa of Calcutta spoke with Pope Francis has led to another flurry of activity for the Vatican press office.

Initially Fr Federico Lombardi SJ had stated that he would neither confirm nor deny that the meeting had taken place, but later when rumors began to circulate Lombardi revised his statement to say that while it was possible that the Pontiff had exchanged words with the woman, reports as to what had passed between them were "in no way reliable."

The nonagenarian missionary worker did not record the conversation and notoriously takes no notes, and reconstructed the dialogue as follows-

'Very good. Go forward, go forward...How good, how good, how good! The Lord will continue to help.'

The Jesuit press officer insisted that this was not an endorsement of forward motion and regarding the phrase "how good, how good, how good" had this to say-

"Those words cannot be attributed to the Pope, although what was said to have been said could be considered faithful on the whole to the mind of the pope, but not necessarily in its particular words and the accuracy of its details.”

He also reminded the press corps that before the incident took place, Pope Francis had met private with a former student who was not so old at all, does not engage in missionary work and is a supporter of retrograde mobility.