Eugenio Scalfari of La Repubblica claimed that Pope Francis had said that Hell does not exist and that condemned souls just "disappear". The Vatican issued a statement saying that Scalfari's claims were not a quote but a reconstruction, and should not be considered a "faithful transcription" of the Pope's words.

Pope Francis dismissed Cdl. Müller, age 69, from his role as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He indicated no reason for the change. Francis also ordered the dismissal of three CDF staff members who worked on investigating cases of alleged sexual abuse by priests.