ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged Vatican cardinals to put aside their power ambitions and personal interests, following in the footsteps of Pope Francis and using Christmas greetings to gently criticize their closest allies.
“Is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia?” Leo asked the cardinals and bishops who make up the Curia what the bureaucracy of the Holy See is called. “To have a relationship of true brotherly friendship?”
The fact that Leo asked this question suggests that the American Pope is well aware that the Curia remains a difficult and sometimes toxic place to work, which Francis has often eviscerated in his annual Christmas addresses.
Leo did not repeat Francis' harsher criticism that Vatican clergy sometimes suffer from “spiritual Alzheimer's,” the “cancer” of cliques, “corruption” of ambition and “self-centered” idle gossip – and his tone was much more gentle and constructive.
But the main message remains. Leo, who was very close to Francis and worked at the Vatican for two years before his election, did not shy away from Francis' tradition of using the Christmas holiday to encourage Vatican bureaucrats to examine their consciences and change their ways for the good of the church.
“Sometimes this bitterness penetrates among us when, after many years of service in the curia, we see with disappointment that certain dynamics related to the exercise of power, the desire to dominate or the pursuit of personal interests are slowly changing,” Leo said.
“In the midst of daily work, it is rewarding to find trusted friends where masks fall away, no one is taken advantage of or excluded, genuine support is offered, and the value and competence of each person is respected, which prevents resentment and dissatisfaction.”
After Francis' sometimes turbulent 12-year pontificate, during which the Argentine Jesuit at times alienated conservatives and some members of the Vatican bureaucracy, Leo has generally sought to be more of a peacemaker who values unity.
On Monday, he urged Vatican bureaucrats to work to improve communication within and outside the church.
“In a world scarred by strife, violence and conflict, where we are also witnessing the rise of aggression and anger, often exploited both in the digital sphere and in politics, Christmas invites everyone to work for peace and universal brotherhood,” he said.
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