Pope Francis has recently said that he is hopeful for a missionary church with a modern spirit. This kind of church will give the poor, the young and the elderly hope. The Pope expressed these thoughts when key meetings for church reform kicked off.

The Pope granted an interview to Rome's La Republica newspaper. The paper was published on Tuesday, just as the Pope began meetings with 8 other cardinals that should advise him on how best to reform the church.

It was noted in the interview that the Pope denounced the Holy See's "Vatican-centric" views. He also touches on how he was "invaded by anxiety" right after he was elected for the position. When he excused himself to go to the Sistine chapel, it was only then that he felt a light that led him to accept the post of Pope.

The cardinals that will advise Pope Francis come from all over the world. Their first round of talks will tackle key issues such as how to get local church leaders more involved in the decisions that concern the 1.2 billion Catholics living all over the world.

While Pope Francis will be taking the advice of the Cardinals, he has also started on a few reforms on his own. The Pope has recently made some Vatican appointments that indicate the direction where he wants to take the Catholic church. Pope Francis' latest actions have alarmed the more conservative members of the Catholic Church and have excited liberals.

One of the Pope's more notorious interviews was when he called for more balance on issues like homosexuality, abortion and contraception. The Pope stressed that the church needed to be more merciful, more welcoming place for all. This attitude is what many are noting as the mission-vision statement of Pope Francis' papacy.