Pope Francis on Saturday told Vatican officials to stop badmouthing each other after he used his name again. annual Christmas greetings This is to prevent betrayal and gossip among the closest allies.
A wheezy, labored-voiced Francis, who just turned 88, urged prelates to instead speak well to each other and humbly examine their own consciences in court. christmas holiday season.
“Ecclesiastical communities live in joyful fraternal harmony as long as their members abandon evil thoughts, stop speaking evil of others and walk in humility,” Francis said. “Gossip is an evil that destroys social life, sickens people’s hearts, and brings nothing. People often say that. Gossip is zero.”
“Be careful with this,” he added.
Francis’ annual Christmas address to priests, bishops and cardinals working in the Vatican Curia is now a lesson in humility and humiliation. This is because Francis is attempting to publicly address some of the workplace sins at the Holy See’s headquarters. Catholic Church.
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In the most scathing 2014 edition, Francis listed “15 ills of the Holy See” and accused prelates of using their Vatican careers to gain power and wealth. He accused them of leading a “hypocritical” double life and of having “spiritual Alzheimer’s disease” that made them forget that they were supposed to be joyful people of God.
In 2022, Francis warned that the devil lurks among them, saying it is a “gracious devil” working within those who embrace the Catholic faith and live a holy life.
This year, Francis revisited a subject he has often warned about. gossip or speak ill of someone The people behind you. It was a reference to the sometimes toxic atmosphere in closed environments such as the Vatican and workplaces where office gossip and criticism are common but rarely aired in public.
Francisco has long welcomed frank and open discussion and even criticism of his own work. But he urged critics to tell him that to his face rather than behind his back.
At the beginning of his speech on Saturday, Francis reminded us that: The horrors of the Gaza warHe said that even the chiefs could not enter there because of Israeli bombing.
“Yesterday, children were bombed. This is an atrocity, this is not war,” he said.
The annual appointment kicks off Francis’ busy Christmas schedule, made even busier this year by the start of the Vatican Jubilee Year on Christmas Eve. Some 32 million pilgrims are expected to visit Rome this jubilee year by 2025, and Francis has a hectic schedule of events to serve them.
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After addressing Vatican prelates, Francis gave a less critical speech to Vatican faithful gathered with his family in the city’s main audience hall. Francis thanked them for their service and urged them to set aside time to play with their children and visit their grandparents.
“If you have any particular issues, please let your boss know. We would like to resolve them,” he added at the end. “This will not be done through silence, but through dialogue. We will seek to solve difficulties together.”
This is clearly a reference to reports of growing unrest among Vatican staff, called out by the Vatican’s Laity Association, the Vatican’s closest association with trade unions. In recent months, the association has raised the alarm over concerns about the health of the Vatican’s pension system and further cost cuts, and called on the Vatican leadership to listen to workers’ concerns.
Earlier this year, 49 employees of the Vatican Museums, the main source of income for the Holy See, filed a class action lawsuit in Vatican tribunals alleging labor issues, overtime and working conditions.
Unlike Italy, which has strong labor laws that protect workers’ rights, Vatican officials often feel they have fewer legal recourses when problems arise. However, employment in the Vatican is often sought by Italian Catholics. Apart from serving the church, employment at the Vatican offers tax-free benefits and access to below-market housing.
