Pope Francis urges reform of papal powers

Pope Francis called for reform to take powers away from the Vatican and said Catholics should be more engaged in helping the needy, but ruled out allowing women priests in a key document released on Tuesday. The Catholic leader said he was seeking advice on how his role should change -- using an informal style for his first "apostolic exhortation", in which he outlined his vision for the future of the Roman Catholic Church. "It is my duty, as the Bishop of Rome, to be open to suggestions which can help make the exercise of my ministry more faithful to the meaning which Jesus Christ wished to give it," the pope wrote. Francis said it was time for "a conversion of the papacy", adding that "excessive centralization, rather than proving helpful, complicates the Church's life".