Blogoland

I knew I didn't imagine hearing this, during yesterday's Non-Stop Fox coverage of the Pope's demise. This is Shepard Smith speaking with Monsignor Hilary Franco:

SMITH: It's my understanding, Monsignor, that that 20 days was put into place in the 13th century when the College of Cardinals came together and after a full year and a half had still not...

FRANCO: That's right.

SMITH: ... had still not been able to elect a cardinal. And they made a decision here to begin cutting off food to the College of Cardinals to limit their intake so that they eventually had to come up with a decision.

FRANCO: Right. But that happened in Veturbo (ph). You know, Shep. That happened in Veturbo (ph), Shep.It was not in Rome at that time. You know, the inhabitants of the town, they were so tired of having the cardinals gathered together that they decided to cut off whatever provisions, you know, food-wise, were supposed to be given to the cardinals. And the cardinals, they realized that they were going to starve and they elected a new pope.

Now what in the world would have prompted him to use that kind of language?