Pope Francis Berates the Roman Curia In His Pre-Christmas Address

Pope Francis addresses members of the Roman Curia on Dec. 21, 2017

Photo courtesy: Vatican News

Like some other years in the recent past, Pope Francis addressed the Roman Curia (Vatican's bureaucratic officials under him) and greeted them. At the same time, he did not lose the opportunity to publicly remind them of their failings as well as their resistance to his reforms. 

Pope Francis, in his address, rebuked the ''traitors'' among the Curia members and also "unbalanced and debased mindset of plots and small cliques." He also mentioned that some Vatican bureaucratic officials "when they are quietly sidelined, wrongfully declare themselves martyrs of the system" rather than acknowledging their own failures.

For more details, please read the following:

• Pope to Roman Curia: Be faithful to the Petrine Office (Dec. 21, 2017)
• Pope Francis: Reform of the Roman Curia is harmed by the conspiracies of minority (Dec. 21, 2017)
• Pope to Curia: 'Betrayers of trust' are frustrating Vatican reform (Dec. 21, 2017)
• Curia exists for service, not for glory, pope says (Dec. 21, 2017)
• Pope Francis says reforming Vatican as hard as cleaning Sphinx with toothbrush (Dec. 21, 2017)
• Pope condemns 'cancer' of cliques in Christmas message to staff (Dec. 21, 2017)
• Pope rips 'traitors' in Christmas message to Roman Curia (Dec. 21, 2017)
• Pope upbraids Vatican bureaucracy: Serve the world, not 'degraded logic of small cliques' (Dec. 21, 2017)
• Pope's Christmas greetings to Roman Curia: building bridges with the outside world (Dec. 21, 2017)
• Pope Francis Calls Curia to Adopt External View (Dec. 21, 2017)
• Pope to Curia: 'Betrayers of trust' are frustrating Vatican reform (Dec. 21, 2017)
• Pope's ferocity with Roman Curia straight out of Jesuit playbook (Dec. 22, 2017)
• Christmas Greetings of Pope Francis to Roman Curia (Dec. 21, 2017) [Youtube video]
• Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia: Address of His Holiness Pope Francis (Dec. 21, 2017) [Full Text]

Previous Christmas Addresses of Pope Francis 

to the Roman Curia:

2013: 

• Pope to Curia: An end to the role of 'inspector and inquisitor' (Dec. 21, 2013)
• Pope Francis gives Christmas message to Vatican Staff, priests (Dec. 21, 2013)
• Be professional, shun gossip, Pope tells Vatican administrators (Dec. 21, 2013)
• [Video] Pope Francis to Curia: professionalism, service, holiness (Dec. 22, 2013)
• Presentation of the Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia: Address of Pope Francis (Dec. 21, 2013) [Full Text] [The pope emphasized on the professionalism and service of the Curia members]

2014:

• Pope Francis: the fifteen 'diseases of the Curia' (Dec. 22, 2014)
• Pope Francis makes scathing critique of Vatican officials in Curia speech (Dec. 22, 2014)
• Pope issues scathing critique of Vatican bureaucracy in pre-Christmas meeting (Dec. 22, 2014)
• Pope Francis: Christmas greetings to Curia (Dec. 22, 2014)
• Pope Francis' 15 'new commandments' for Vatican staff (Dec. 22, 2014)
• Francis Uses Christmas Speech to Criticize Vatican Bureaucracy (Dec. 22, 2014)
• [Video] Christmas Greetings of Pope Francis to the Roman Curia (Dec. 22, 2014)
• Presentation of the Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia: Address of His Holiness Pope Francis (Dec. 22, 2014) [Full Text]

2015:

• In Christmas address, Pope Francis asks Roman Curia to cultivate 24 'needed virtues' (Dec. 21, 2015)
• Pope Francis' Own Listicle of "Needed Virtues" (Dec. 22, 2015)
• Pope outlines 'needed virtues' to Roman Curia (Dec. 22, 2015)
• [Video] Christmas Greetings of Pope Francis to Roman Curia (Dec. 21, 2015)
• [Video] Pope Francis includes '12 medicines' with his Christmas greetingds to the Roman Curia (Dec. 21, 2015)
• Presentation of the Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia: Address of His Holiness Pope Francis (Dec. 21, 2015) [Full Text]

2016:

• Pope Lays Out Guiding Principles of Roman Curia Reform (Dec. 22, 2016)
• Pope Francis lays out 12 guiding principles for reform of the Roman Curia (Dec. 22, 2016)
• Pope lays out 12-step programme to reform the Roman Curia (Dec. 22, 2016)
• Pope Francis calls for 'Unconditioned Obedience' to Achieve Curial Reform (Dec. 22, 2016)
• Pope Francis surprises Vatican officials with frank talk of Roman Curia reform (Dec. 22, 2016)
• Pope Francis' speech to the Roman Curia (Dec. 22, 2016)
• Francis denounces resistance to Vatican reform in Christmas speech to curia (Dec. 22, 2016)
• [Video] Christmas Greetings of Pope Francis to Roman Curia (Dec. 22, 2016)
• Presentation of the Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia: Address of His Holiness Pope Francis (Dec. 22, 2016) [Full Text]

Related Items:

• Clericalism And Its Corroding Effects in the Catholic Church (Sept. 19, 2018)
• Pope Francis Asks Priests and Bishops To Be 'Smelly Shepherds,' Not 'Wolves' (Oct. 1, 2018)
• Vatican Scandals and Reforms of Pope Francis (Dec. 31, 2016)

(Updated on Oct. 4, 2018)