Christopher Lamb is the Vatican correspondent for The Tablet. Founded in 1840, the weekly journal is a hugely influential voice amongst the 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide. Joining in 2009 from the Daily Telegraph, he also appears regularly on TV news around the world. In this in-depth interview, Christopher reflects on the depth of his access to the Vatican, and his ringside seat witnessing Pope Francis’ battle to modernise the church – suggesting “the forces seeking to block a Pope’s agenda” have “not been this powerful since the Renaissance;” reflects on Pope Francis, the human being – “a reforming, enigmatic figure,” whose unique journey to becoming Pope has shaped a progressive, forward-thinking outlook – and leads him to challenge the church on clerical sexual abuse, injustice, and the exploitation of the world’s most vulnerable people – including refugees and those in poverty; and shares the nuts and bolts of how the Pope has harnessed modern media management techniques to improve the Vatican’s communication.