Pope Francis wants statue of himself removed from Buenos Aires cathedral
July 11, 2013: At the age of 76 he became a household name and a magazine cover
star. But Pope Francis is apparently desperate to avoid becoming a celebrity – he
has ordered the removal of a new life-size statue of him in Buenos Aires cathedral.
Since
its installation two weeks ago believers visited the statue in the cathedral’s garden
to pay homage to the pontiff, while tourists posed for photos alongside it. But Pope
Francis, formerly Archbishop of the Argentine capital, was reportedly horrified at
the news.
He got straight on the phone and had strong words with the priest
responsible telling him: ‘Get that thing down, immediately’, the Argentinian newspaper
Clarin reported.
Church sources told the newspaper that Francis is determined
to avoid creating ‘a cult of personality’ like that enjoyed by John Paul II. Since
his election in March, Francis has gone to lengths to be seen as humble, showing little
patience for the pomp and fuss that come with his position as head of the world’s
1.2 billion Catholics. ( Source: CWN )