Minnesota-born Vatican-watcher on pope's comments about homosexuality, abortion

Greeting the faithful
Pope Francis waves as he arrives in St. Peter's Square for his inauguration Mass at the Vatican, Tuesday, March 19, 2013.
Michael Sohn/ASSOCIATED PRESS

In an interview published Thursday, Pope Francis urged the Catholic Church to put less focus on its views of abortion, same-sex marriage and contraception, or he said it might "fall like a house of cards."

Six months into his papacy, Francis set out his vision for the church and his priorities as pope in a remarkably candid and lengthy interview with La Civilta Cattolica, the Italian Jesuit magazine. It was published simultaneously Thursday in other Jesuit journals, including in the United States. In the 12,000-word article, Francis expands on his ground-breaking comments over the summer about gays and acknowledges some of his own faults. He sheds light on his favorite composers, artists, authors and films (Mozart, Caravaggio, Dostoevsky and Fellini's "La Strada"), and says he prays even while at the dentist's office.

Caravaggio's "The Taking of Christ"
The 17th-century Italian painter Caravaggio is a favorite artist of Pope Francis. This is "The Taking of Christ."
The National Gallery of Art

But his vision of what the church should be stands out, primarily because it contrasts so sharply with many of the priorities of his immediate predecessors John Paul II and Benedict XVI. They were both intellectuals for whom doctrine was paramount, an orientation that guided the selection of generations of bishops and cardinals around the globe.

Minnesota native John Thavis, a former Vatican reporter and author of "The Vatican Diaries," joins The Daily Circuit to discuss the pope's interview.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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