Obama calls Pope 'soulful messenger' of peace, justice

December 06, 2013 - US President Barack Obama has expressed his appreciation for Pope Francis, who has called for a more humble Catholic Church that sides with the poor. Obama offered praise to the Argentine pontiff in an interview with MSNBC's "Hardball" on Thursday, saying Francis has used the power of his office to remind people of their obligations to others and future generations. "I think Pope Francis is showing himself to be just an extraordinarily thoughtful, and soulful, messenger of peace and justice," Obama said. The US president has not yet met the pope, but he said "everything that I've read, everything that I've seen from him indicates the degree to which he is trying to remind us of those core obligations." (Source: Reuters)