Pope’s Christmas greetings to
Roman Curia: building bridges with the outside world
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| Pope Francis addresses Roman Curia. |
Pope Francis addresses members of the Roman Curia in the
Vatican and reminds them to be “instruments of salvation and service”.
By Seàn-Patrick Lovett
The Roman Curia is the administrative body
of Holy See and the apparatus through which the Pope conducts the affairs of
the Church in the world. Every year the Holy Father addresses its members just
before Christmas in a traditional exchange of greetings. The occasion offers
him the possibility to reflect on how the Curia works and on what he considers
its priorities in the present context of the Church and world.
“Ad extra”: the Curia’s relationship with the outside
world
Pope Francis’ wide-ranging discourse focused mainly on
building bridges “ad extra” by reflecting on the Curia’s relationship with
“nations, Particular Churches, Oriental Churches, ecumenical dialogue, Judaism,
Islam and other religions – in other words, with the outside world”.
Recognizing that the Curia is an “ancient, complex and venerable institution”,
the Pope also spoke of the danger of becoming too “self-referential” and
losing sight of the Church’s mission to be “in the world but not of the world
and to be an instrument of salvation and service”.
“Martyrs of the system”
While recognizing the “vast majority of faithful persons”
who work in the Curia with “commitment, fidelity, competence, dedication and
great sanctity”, the Pope nonetheless had stern words for what he called “the
cancer that leads to self-centeredness”. Specifically, he warned of the danger
posed by those who “betray the trust put in them…failing to understand the
lofty nature of their responsibility” and allowing themselves to be corrupted
by ambition. They wrongly consider themselves to be “martyrs of the system”, he
said, “rather than reciting a mea culpa”.
Sensitive antennae
The Dicasteries of the Roman Curia are called to be like “sensitive
antennae”, said Pope Francis, both sending and receiving: faithfully
transmitting the will of the Pope while also grasping the “aspirations,
questions, pleas, joys and sorrows of the Churches and the world” so that the
Pope can better carry out his mission as the “visible source and foundation of
unity both of faith and communion”.
Activities of the Roman Curia
The Pope then went on to examine in detail various areas of
Curial activity, from relations with nations and the role played by Vatican
diplomacy in building bridges of peace and dialogue, to its
relationship with Dioceses and Eparchies. Here he spoke about his own
preference for having what he called “open and sincere conversations” in his
meetings with Bishops “that remain private and go beyond the formalities of
protocol”. Pope Francis also described the relationship between Rome and the
Oriental Churches as one of “mutual and spiritual enrichment” and confirmed the
Curia’s commitment to ecumenical dialogue, to “untying the knots of
misunderstanding and hostility and counteracting prejudices and fear of the
other”.
Christmas as the Feast of Faith
Pope Francis concluded his reflections by speaking about
Christmas as the Feast of Faith:
“A faith that does not trouble us is a troubled faith. A
faith that does not make us grow is a faith that needs to grow. A faith that
does not rouse us is a faith that needs to be roused. A faith that does not
shake us is a faith that needs to be shaken. A faith that is only intellectual
or lukewarm is only a notion of faith”.
Faith, he said, only becomes real “when it touches our
heart, our soul, our spirit and our whole being”.
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