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| Pope Francis eager to lose 'narcissistic' nature of papal court | Pope Francis eager to lose 'narcissistic' nature of papal court |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Pope Francis has said he will do everything he can to change the "introspective and Vatican-centric" nature of the Holy See, criticising the Roman curia for neglecting the wider world and its 1.2 billion Catholics. | |
| In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica – his second in as many weeks – the pontiff hit out at the historic pomp of some of his "narcissistic" predecessors, describing the papal court as "the leprosy of the papacy". | In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica – his second in as many weeks – the pontiff hit out at the historic pomp of some of his "narcissistic" predecessors, describing the papal court as "the leprosy of the papacy". |
| He also said that, in a moment of great anxiety, after being elected head of the church in March, it occurred to him to not accept the role offered. But the moment soon passed, he said, and he then had no more anxiety or emotion. | He also said that, in a moment of great anxiety, after being elected head of the church in March, it occurred to him to not accept the role offered. But the moment soon passed, he said, and he then had no more anxiety or emotion. |
| Speaking to Eugenio Scalfari, a co-founder of the Italian daily, and an atheist, who had exchanged letters with him over the summer, the Argentinian pope said he agreed it would be difficult to reform the Vatican. | Speaking to Eugenio Scalfari, a co-founder of the Italian daily, and an atheist, who had exchanged letters with him over the summer, the Argentinian pope said he agreed it would be difficult to reform the Vatican. |
| But he said that, while not St Francis of Assisi, who also had to "negotiate with the Roman power elite", he was the "bishop of Rome and the Catholic pope" so would try his best to shake up the Vatican. | But he said that, while not St Francis of Assisi, who also had to "negotiate with the Roman power elite", he was the "bishop of Rome and the Catholic pope" so would try his best to shake up the Vatican. |
| Speaking of the Council of Cardinals, the advisory panel meeting this Tuesday for the first time in what has been likened to a papal G8, he said: "[They are] not courtiers but wise people who share my feelings. This is the start of a church with not just a vertical but horizontal organisation." | Speaking of the Council of Cardinals, the advisory panel meeting this Tuesday for the first time in what has been likened to a papal G8, he said: "[They are] not courtiers but wise people who share my feelings. This is the start of a church with not just a vertical but horizontal organisation." |
| Francis suggested that some members of the curia, the Vatican's large and dysfunctional bureaucracy that was last year plunged into crisis during the VatiLeaks scandal, were courtiers but that the main problem with the curia was its self-interested nature. | Francis suggested that some members of the curia, the Vatican's large and dysfunctional bureaucracy that was last year plunged into crisis during the VatiLeaks scandal, were courtiers but that the main problem with the curia was its self-interested nature. |
| "It sees and looks after the interests of the Vatican, which are still, in large part, temporal interests. This Vatican-centric vision neglects the world around it," he said. "I do not share it and I will do everything I can to change it." The Holy See should remember, he said, that it was at the service of the church. | "It sees and looks after the interests of the Vatican, which are still, in large part, temporal interests. This Vatican-centric vision neglects the world around it," he said. "I do not share it and I will do everything I can to change it." The Holy See should remember, he said, that it was at the service of the church. |
| The interview with Scalfari was conducted in the Vatican's Domus Sancthae Marthae guesthouse in which Francis, since his election, has lived. | The interview with Scalfari was conducted in the Vatican's Domus Sancthae Marthae guesthouse in which Francis, since his election, has lived. |
| The former editor of La Repubblica said the pope had jokingly said to him: "Some of my colleagues who know you have told me you will try to convert me [to atheism]." When the Italian replied that his friends had said it would more likely be the other way round, Francis responded: "Proselytism is solemn nonsense; it doesn't make sense." | The former editor of La Repubblica said the pope had jokingly said to him: "Some of my colleagues who know you have told me you will try to convert me [to atheism]." When the Italian replied that his friends had said it would more likely be the other way round, Francis responded: "Proselytism is solemn nonsense; it doesn't make sense." |
| Later the pope criticised the church for having done very little to open dialogue with non-believers since the landmark Second Vatican Council. Separately, he said the Catholic church should not, and would not, during his papacy, involve itself in politics beyond a defence of its basic values. | Later the pope criticised the church for having done very little to open dialogue with non-believers since the landmark Second Vatican Council. Separately, he said the Catholic church should not, and would not, during his papacy, involve itself in politics beyond a defence of its basic values. |
| When Scalfari pointed out that the church had never been like that, Francis said: "It has almost never been like that. Very often the church as an institution has been dominated by temporalism, and many members and senior Catholic leaders still feel this way." | When Scalfari pointed out that the church had never been like that, Francis said: "It has almost never been like that. Very often the church as an institution has been dominated by temporalism, and many members and senior Catholic leaders still feel this way." |
| Conspicuously absent from the themes discussed in the interview were issues pertaining to sexual morality such as contraception and abortion. | Conspicuously absent from the themes discussed in the interview were issues pertaining to sexual morality such as contraception and abortion. |
| Speaking to the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica last month the pope said he wanted to shift the church's focus from doctrinal issues, without changing its fundamental position on them. | Speaking to the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica last month the pope said he wanted to shift the church's focus from doctrinal issues, without changing its fundamental position on them. |
| To Scalfari he reiterated his desire to see the church open up to the youth, old and marginalised who felt discarded by society. He hit out at "unrestrained liberalism" which, he said, only served to make the strong stronger, the weak weaker, and the excluded more excluded. | To Scalfari he reiterated his desire to see the church open up to the youth, old and marginalised who felt discarded by society. He hit out at "unrestrained liberalism" which, he said, only served to make the strong stronger, the weak weaker, and the excluded more excluded. |
| Direct state intervention, he said, was sometimes necessary to correct the most intolerable inequalities. | Direct state intervention, he said, was sometimes necessary to correct the most intolerable inequalities. |
| In unprecedented detail, the pope, who has been head of the Catholic church for more than six-and-a-half months, described the thoughts that went through his head when he was chosen as pontiff by cardinals in the Sistine chapel. | In unprecedented detail, the pope, who has been head of the Catholic church for more than six-and-a-half months, described the thoughts that went through his head when he was chosen as pontiff by cardinals in the Sistine chapel. |
| He said: "Before I accepted I asked if I could spend a few minutes in the room next to the one with the balcony overlooking the square," he said. "My head was completely empty and I was seized by a great anxiety. To make it go away and relax I closed my eyes and made every thought disappear, even the thought of refusing to accept the position, as the liturgical procedure allows. I closed my eyes and I no longer had any anxiety or emotion. | He said: "Before I accepted I asked if I could spend a few minutes in the room next to the one with the balcony overlooking the square," he said. "My head was completely empty and I was seized by a great anxiety. To make it go away and relax I closed my eyes and made every thought disappear, even the thought of refusing to accept the position, as the liturgical procedure allows. I closed my eyes and I no longer had any anxiety or emotion. |
| "At a certain point I was filled with a great light. It lasted a moment, but to me it seemed very long. Then the light faded, I got up suddenly and walked into the room where the cardinals were waiting and the table on which was the act of acceptance. I signed it, Cardinal Camerlengo countersigned it and then on the balcony there was the Habemus Papam [announcement of a newly elected pope]. | "At a certain point I was filled with a great light. It lasted a moment, but to me it seemed very long. Then the light faded, I got up suddenly and walked into the room where the cardinals were waiting and the table on which was the act of acceptance. I signed it, Cardinal Camerlengo countersigned it and then on the balcony there was the Habemus Papam [announcement of a newly elected pope]. |
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