Pope Francis on Monday
outlined 15 illnesses that he said clergy must guard against in
a hard-hitting address to the Roman Curia before Christmas.
The pope has appointed a nine-member Council of Cardinals
to advise him on reforming the Roman Curia - the administrative
apparatus of the Holy See and the Catholic Church.
This is part of an effort towards a broader overhaul of the
Vatican's institutions in the wake of the financial and
child-sex abuse scandals that have tarnished the Catholic
Church's image in recent years.
"The Curia needs to change... a Curia that does not
criticise itself, that does not bring itself up to date, that
does not try to improve, is an ill body," the Argentine pontiff
said.
"Sometimes (Curia officials) feel themselves to be 'lords
of the manor' - superior to everyone and everything," the pope
added, saying that when this happens, clergymen forget the
spirit of humility and generosity that should animate them in
their service to the Church.
He went on to give a long list of "ailments" that
clergymen can be stricken with, included "feeling immortal",
"spiritual Alzheimer's", "existential schizophrenia" and the
"terrorism of gossip".
"These and other maladies and temptations are a danger for
every Christian and for any administrative organization,
community, congregation, parish, ecclesiastical movement and can
strike at both the individual and the corporate level," Francis
said.
The pope's reference to people who feel "immortal, immune
or even indispensable" was interpreted by some commentators as
being directed at retired clergy who try to keep exerting
influence after leaving their positions.
He also blasted the "malady of people who insatiably seek
to increase their power and to that end are capable of
calumniating, defaming and discrediting others, even in
newspapers and magazines".
The pope also advised his audience to maintain a good
sense of humor, calling for a "joyous spirit, full of humor and
even self-mockery, that makes us amiable persons, even in
difficult situations."
"It's nice to think of the Roman Curia as a little model
church, that is a body that every day seeks to become more
unified and harmonious, a complex body with many different
elements that don't have the same job, but are coordinated to
work in an exemplary, effective way, despite the diversity of
its members," he added.
In a meeting with Holy See staff, Pope Francis also asked
for forgiveness over scandals that have hit the Church.
"I don't want to conclude this meeting without asking
your forgiveness for my shortcoming and those of my assistants
for some scandals that have caused much damage. Forgive me," the
pope said.
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