Pope Francis vows to seek Vatican reform and laments narcissism in church

VATICAN CITY
RTE News

Pope Francis has promised to do everything in his power to change the Vatican’s mentality, saying in an interview published today that it was too focused on its own interests.

He also revealed that he had briefly considered not accepting his election as the first non-European pope in 1,300 years when his fellow cardinals chose him in March.

In the long interview with the atheist editor of the left-leaning La Repubblica newspaper, he said too many previous popes in the church’s long history had been “narcissists” who let themselves be flattered by their “courtier” aides.

“The [papal] court is the leprosy of the papacy,” Pope Francis said.

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