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The Catholic Church will “fall like a house of cards” unless its leaders are able to strike a “new balance” between their political activities and their spiritual mission, Pope Francis said in an unprecedented 10,000 word interview.
The pope declared himself to be “a sinner” in the literal sense, adding that it is “the most accurate definition” of himself. “It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.”
The wide-ranging interview has been published simultaneously by 16 Jesuit publications around the world at 4pm UK time, in a dozen languages including English.
It was conducted and disseminated in the utmost secrecy, with even some Vatican officials unaware of its content, and was hailed as a “scoop” for the Jesuit movement, reported The Telegraph.
The pope said the Church has been guilty in the past of getting bogged down “in small things … small-minded rules” and that it needed to adopt a new “attitude”.
He admitted to making mistakes as head of the Catholic Church in Argentina, when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires.
He disclosed he had a tendency towards “authoritarianism and (a) quick manner of making decisions.”
He said he had been reprimanded by some Catholics, who felt he had not spoken out forcefully enough on issues such as abortion and gay marriage.
In response, he said he did not see the need to discuss those issues constantly, because he agreed with Church doctrine and considered the matter closed.
Sources
Image: Reuters/The Telegraph
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