Rome, Italy, Feb 17, 2020 / 03:00 pm (CNA).- An Italian television station released on Monday the first in an eight part series of interviews designed to highlight reflections from Pope Francis on the Nicene Creed.

In the first interview of the series, Pope Francis countered arguments that Satan is a symbol or an expression of psychological issues.

"Some say: ‘No, Satan does not exist: we have something bad inside, because of our material, spiritual or psychological diseases, and thus we have this tendency to evil,’" the pope said.

"It is true that we are wounded: we are wounded persons. But Satan does exist, he is the seducer," Pope Francis added, during an interview aired Feb. 17 by TV2000, the official television station of the Italian bishops’ conference.

The pope’s first interview was broad-ranging: the pontiff discussed Christian persecution, populis, ecclesial movements, the mafia, faith itself, and the devil.

The interviews are conducted by Fr. Marco Pozza, a jail chaplain in the Italian city of Padova, who has previously interviewed Pope Francis for TV2000; the first time on the prayer of Our Father and the second time on the Hail Mary.