During an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, President Barack Obama positively acknowledged the recent remarks made by Pope Francis about reform in the Catholic Church, USA TODAY reported.
"I have been hugely impressed with the pope's pronouncements," Obama said. He described Francis as "somebody who lives out the teachings of Christ. Incredible humility -- incredible sense of empathy to the least of these, to the poor."
The president also praised Francis' assertion that the church should refocus their energy from controversial social issues, like gay marriage and abortion, and channel it towards more important issues like helping the needy.
"He's also somebody who is -- I think first and foremost -- thinking about how to embrace people as opposed to push them away; how to find what's good in them as opposed to condemn them.
"And that spirit, that sense of love and unity, seems to manifest itself in not just what he says, but also what he does. And, you know, for any religious leader, that's something -- that's a quality I admire.
"And --I would argue for any leader period -- that's a quality that I admire."
Obama's compliments come one day after the pope commenced a meeting with cardinals from around the world to discuss church reform.
"The church is or should go back to being a community of God's people, and priests, pastors and bishops who have the care of souls, are at the service of the people of God," he said in an interview with Italian publication La Repubblica -- which was conducted in a Vatican guest house -- one day before the meeting began.
He also condemned the "Vatican-centric" essence of the Holy See and admitted that previous popes developed vain attitudes.
"Leaders of the Church have often been Narcissus, flattered and sickeningly excited by their courtiers. The court is the leprosy of the papacy," Francis said. "This Vatican-centric view neglects the world around us. I do not share this view and I'll do everything I can to change it."
