VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has won widespread acclaim thus far in his nascent papacy with popular gestures like washing the feet of juveniles during Holy Week and refusing many papal perks. But now comes the hard part of his new job: reforming the Vatican.

The Roman Curia, as the central administration of the Catholic Church is known, has been riven by scandals and allegations of infighting and careerism, which helped undermine Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s reign and reportedly pushed him to resign.


The dysfunction was so bad that reforming the Curia became a rallying cry for many cardinals at the conclave that elected Francis. But will he deliver on the promise of reform?

Much will depend on who Francis will choose as his top aides, starting from the appointments of the new heads of key Vatican offices. So far, he has reconfirmed the Curia leadership, but he has made it clear that this is just a provisional measure while he makes up his mind about his next steps.

“Be ready for some surprises. He is not afraid to pick up the phone to call up people and ask things. He is talking to everyone,” said a curial official who spoke on background because he was not authorized to talk publicly about the new pope’s consultations with cardinals and monsignors.

Those who know the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio well from his days as archbishop of Buenos Aires say Francis has a hands-off management style: He chooses people he trusts, even if they have views that differ from his own, and doesn’t micromanage.

“He’s good at trusting people and giving them space to get on with their work,” his former spokesman, the Rev. Guillermo Marco, told the British Catholic magazine The Tablet. “He’s not the kind of person who’s determined to do everything himself; he’s good at delegating ... He gave me a lot of freedom and he’s the same way with everybody.”

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/can-pope-francis-really-reform-the-vatican/2013/04/05/f65e6546-9e2c-11e2-9219-51eb8387e8f1_story.html