Former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum accused media outlets of intentionally taking Pope Frances out of context in order to foment dissent among Catholics, Right Wing Watch reported.
"I know his heart, and yet he will say things that I know he means innocently and I know they're innocent," Santorum told Newsmax host Steve Malzberg. "But it can be taken by those, let's just say not so innocent, to try to twist what his meanings really is."
"You're talking about the liberal media with their agenda," Malzberg replied.
"Yeah, it is." the former Pennsylvania senator said. "They want nothing more than to drive a real division between the church, not just here but around the world."
Santorum did not criticize the Pope himself. Instead, he argued, reporters have twisted his words, like his recent remark that Catholics did not need to "breed like rabbits." Pope Francis later backtracked on that statement.
"I think this Pope is great," Malzberg said. "I just don't get a lot of the things he says."
Santorum said the issue is not how well the Pope discusses Church doctrine.
"The casualness of the conversation [with reporters] leads many who would love to see division leads them to take those and run with them in a direction that the pope certainly didn't attend," he said.
The Associated Press reported on Friday that Santorum is considering another presidential campaign, and will take part at a forum hosted by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) that will feature several other prospective GOP candidates.
Watch footage from the interview, as posted by Right Wing Watch on Friday, below.
