Pope Francis: Christmas greetings to Vatican employees
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the leadership,
officials, and staff of the Holy See’s curial dicasteries and Vatican offices
on Thursday morning, along with their families, for an exchange of Christmas
greetings and well-wishes.
In remarks prepared for the occasion and delivered in the
Paul VI Hall, Pope Francis spoke to his guests of the duty to be grateful to
heaven for the gift of work, and of the duty employers have to respect the
rights and dignity of the people who work for them.
“Work is very important for the person who works, and for
that person’s family,” said Pope Francis. “While we give thanks [for the work
we have], let us pray for the persons and the families – in Italy and in all
the world – who do not have work, or who so often do unworthy jobs, poor-paying
jobs, jobs that are harmful to their health,” he continued.
The Holy Father went on to say, “We must commit ourselves,
each of us according to his responsibility, to guaranteeing that work be always
worthy and dignified (It. degno): that it be respectful of the
person and of the family; that it be just.”
“Here in the Vatican,” Pope Francis explained, “we have an
additional reason to do this: we have the Gospel, and we must follow the
directives of the Social Doctrine of the Church.”
“No keeping employees ‘off book’ (or ‘paying them under the
table’) [It. lavoro in nero],” Pope Francis specified, adding
emphatically, “No sneaky games and tricks [It. sotterfugi,
literally ‘subterfuges’].”
“Les us all give thanks to the Lord, therefore,” Pope
Francis continued.
“For my part, however, I would like today to thank you for
your work,” the Pope told his employees. “I thank each one of you, for the
dedication each one of you puts into his work each day, trying to do it well,
even when one is perhaps not feeling well, or when there are worries at home,”
Pope Francis added.
The Holy Father went on to discuss one of the things that
makes the Vatican a special place to work.
“A nice thing about the Vatican is that, since it is a very
small operation, it is possible to perceive it as a whole, with the various
tasks that make up the whole, and each is important: the various areas of work
are close and connected,” he said, “[and] everyone knows more or less everyone
else.”
Pope Francis went on to say that it is satisfying to be able
to participate in such an orderly and well-ordered operation.
“One can feel the satisfaction,” the Pope said, “of seeing a
certain order, [of seeing] that things work, with all the limitations, of
course – one can always do better and one must always must [try to] – but it is
good to hear that each sector does its part and that the whole works well to
the advantage of all.”
“Here, this is easier,” Pope Francis continued, “because we
are a small outfit – but this does not detract from [your] commitment and
personal merit, and therefore I feel the desire to thank you.”
The Holy Father concluded with special thanks for the work
done during the course of the recently-concluded Jubilee of Mercy, and promised
prayers for all the employees and their families – especially for those who are
sick, or elderly, or too young to come – even as he asked theirs for himself.
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