Francis orders removal of Buenos Aires statue

In an apparent bid to avoid any personality cult in relation to himself, Pope Francis has ordered the removal of a new life-size statue of him in Buenos Aires cathedral, The Daily Mail reports.

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 Francis, formerly Archbishop of the Argentine capital, was reportedly horrified at the news.

He got straight on the phone and allegedly 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.