According to Catholic World News, he was talking to a group of Polish believers and said that "many people leave the confessional disappointed" because priests are not willing to understand people's thoughts and feelings enough.
The pontiff said many religious leaders are trained "in the light of overly clear and distinct ideas, and therefore act within limits and criteria that are rigidly defined in advance and that set aside concrete situations."
Pope Francis has received criticism for his attempts to change some aspects of the Catholic Church and modernise its approach to controversial issues such as divorce and communion.
However his actions have been defended by former pope, Benedict XVI, who calls Francis a friend.
Earlier in the year an international study also found that the world loves Pope Francis more than any other world leader.
