The papal criticism came in a letter from Francis to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Cardinal Ouellet is also the Prefect for the Congregation for Bishops, which plays a crucial role in appointing leaders of dioceses across the world.

The letter, released by the Vatican on Tuesday, followed a meeting between the Pope and members of the Latin America commission.

The role of laity in Latin American countries was discussed at the meeting.

Francis stated in the letter: "The laity are part of the holy faithful People of God, and are therefore the protagonists of the Church and the world; we are called to serve them, not to make use of them."

He stated that priests must trust that the Holy Spirit is working in lay people and that the Spirit "is not only the 'property' of the ecclesial hierarchy".

He noted that "no one is baptised a priest or bishop" and described clericalism as "one of the greatest distortions affecting the Church in Latin America".

Francis criticised the "homogenisation" of the lay person that clericalism brings about, as well as the notion that the only committed lay people are those who work in church roles.

"Without realising it, we have created a lay elite believing that only those who work in things of priests are committed laypersons; and we have forgotten, neglected the believer that many times has their hope burned away in the daily fight to live the faith," stated the pontiff.

Pope Francis spoke of the importance of giving encouragement and support to the efforts of the lay faithful who work in the public sphere.

He stressed "it is not the job of the pastor to tell the lay people what they must do and say" in those situations, adding "they know more and better than us".

Rather, pastors "must remain at the side of our people, accompanying them in their work and stimulating that capable imagination of responding to current problems".

Sources

• The Tablet
• National Catholic Reporter
• Vatican Radio
• Image: Todays Catholic News

Cardinal Marc Ouellet told the Catholic News Service that this does happen nowadays, but the number of priests who do so is not high.

Priests decline an appointment as bishop, which is offered by the Pope, for a number of reasons, the cardinal said.

One priest told the Congregation for Bishops that he had cancer and had not told others of his illness.

"It was a sign of responsibility not to accept the appointment," Cardinal Ouellet said.

Others decline because of something in their past or because they think they cannot handle the responsibility, he said.

In the latter case, he said, "normally we insist" because often people are not the best judges of their own abilities.

But when a person makes "a decision in conscience", the Vatican respects that.

Cardinal Ouellet also confirmed that, since at least 2010, the confidential questionnaire sent to local bishops and clergy asking about a potential candidate includes a question about whether that person was ever was in a position of having to handle an accusation of clerical sexual abuse made against another priest or church worker.

"We have to be able to verify that he is able to handle these cases well, that is to say, he does not have a mentality of covering them up or not reporting them or not taking them seriously," the cardinal said.

Asked about the types of potential bishops the Pope desires, Cardinal Ouellet said the Pope "has insisted on the pastoral quality of the bishops".

"That's very clear. It does not mean that they do not have to be masters of the faith because a bishops is, first and foremost, the first teacher of the faith in his diocese.

"But the capacity to relate to people, to establish dialogue, to start from the point where people are - this is a quality that is also requested," the cardinal said.

Sources

• Catholic News Service
• Image: Flashpoint News

The Canadian cardinal, whose congregation oversees the selection of bishops, said what the Pope told him "made me think this man knows where he goes and there is a determination.

"We need a man who is really attentive to people but able to make a clear decision. If it is necessary to change personnel, he will do it. I am talking in general. I think he has the temper to reform the governance of the Church."

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The cardinals, yesterday, held their last pre-conclave talks where they have been talking about the qualities needed by the next pope and vetting possible candidates for the post.

Vatican insiders seem to be favouring the 'reformers candidate', Milan Archbishop Angelo Scola as in the lead, but without the needed support of two-thirds of the 115 'cardinal electors' .

Odilo Scherer, archbishop of Sao Paolo, Brazil is also supposedly seen as the Roman Curia's pick and so is also seen as a strong possibility.

The voting process is governed by complete secrecy.

Meeting in 'general congregations' for a week now, there is a significant block of cardinals looking for a man who can reform the Roman Curia, the central government of the Catholic Church, which has been beset by the intrigue laid bare in documents leaked by Benedict's butler last year.

While some see head of the Congregation of Bishops, Canadian Marc Ouellet as the person to implement curial reform, it was the Archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Angelo Scola who was greeted by a mass of photographers and cameramen when he celebrated mass in the Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles on Sunday.

However with reform on the mind of many cardinals, and the United States no longer the only global super-power, talk in Rome also surrounds the possibility of an American Pope.

In recent days, Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley has emerged as a popular favorite, leading a poll of a half-dozen Vatican experts in the influential daily Corriere della Sera on Saturday, as well as a separate reader poll the paper published online Sunday.

According to Inquirer News, O'Malley's brown habit, signifying his Capuchin Franciscan order's simplicity and solidarity with the poor, has helped him stand out. So has his fluency in Spanish and connection with Hispanic communities, lending him an international appeal. And he is recognized as one of the church's most effective leaders in dealing with clergy sexual abuse.

Another leading US contender is the larger than life, great communicator, New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

Dolan himself however is dismissing his chances.

Writing via his blog to people in the New York Diocese, he said he's looking forward to getting home; he's running out of clean socks.

Early on in the process he was similarly dismissive, saying people who are mentioning his name must be smoking some of that funny smelling tobacco.

Sources

• Inquirer News
• Boston Globe
• NBCNews
• Christian Science Monitor
• Image: BBC