Pope vows to change the Vatican curia he brands a 'leprosy of the papacy'

Pope Francis, who not long ago said he didn't like to give interviews to the press, has spoken at length to the left-leaning Italian daily, La Repubblica - the paper that last month published a personal letter Francis wrote to its former editor, Eugenio Scalfari.

Read the English translation here.

This time Scalfari carried out the interview, which was full of characteristically striking lines. Francis described the Vatican curia as a 'leprosy of the papacy' that was too concerned with its own temporal interests. 'I do not share this vision and will do all I can to change it,' he declared.

Francis did not spare the Church's leadership, saying: 'The heads of the Church have often been narcissists, flattered and badly excited by their courtiers.'

And neither did he have any time for clericalism - an over-emphasis of the status of the ordained. 'When I'm faced with someone who's clerical I immediately become an anti-clerical,' he said candidly. 'Clericalism should not have anything to do with Christianity,' he warns.

Instead, the Pope outlined a radically different vision for the Church. He said he hoped for a 'poor and missionary' Church that works as leaven in society, and which aims is to build brotherly love among all people, rather than proselytise to gain new members.

He also expressed his intention to recover the Second Vatican Council's decision for the Church to 'open up to modernity' and bolster religious ecumenism and dialogue with non-believers.

Last month Francis gave the Jesuits, his own order, his first press interview - the first not counting the impromptu press conference Francis chose to give journalists on the papal plane on the way back from World Youth Day in Brazil in July.