In a significant address to Vatican cardinals on Monday, Pope Leo XIV delivered a thoughtful critique of the Holy See’s administrative culture, urging officials to prioritize authentic relationships over personal ambitions. The American pontiff posed a fundamental question to the Roman Curia: “Is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia? To have relationships of genuine fraternal friendship?”
While maintaining a more diplomatic tone than his predecessor Pope Francis, who famously described problematic behaviors as “spiritual Alzheimer’s” and “cancerous cliques,” Leo XIV acknowledged persistent institutional challenges. He expressed disappointment that “certain dynamics—linked to the exercise of power, the desire to prevail, or the pursuit of personal interests—are slow to change” despite years of service.
The pope emphasized the transformative power of trustworthy friendships within the bureaucracy, where “masks fall away, no one is used or sidelined, genuine support is offered, and each person’s worth and competence are respected.” This approach marks a continuation of Francis’s tradition of using Christmas addresses for institutional reflection while adopting a more conciliatory tone.
Leo XIV, who worked within the Vatican for two years before his election, called for curial officials to foster communion both within the Church and in the wider world. He connected this internal reform to broader global challenges, noting that “in a world wounded by discord, violence and conflict, where we also witness a growth in aggression and anger, often exploited by both the digital sphere and politics, Christmas invites everyone to work for peace and universal fraternity.”
The address reflects the pontiff’s balancing act between maintaining reform momentum and healing divisions within the Church hierarchy following Francis’s sometimes tumultuous 12-year pontificate.