Pope to Roman Curia: ‘Never speak ill of one another’

By Lisa Zengarini

“An ecclesial community lives in joyful and fraternal harmony to the extent that its members walk the path of humility, refusing to think and speak ill of one another. » In his annual Christmas address to the Roman Curia at the Vatican on Saturday, Pope Francis again warned of the destructive effects of negative rumors and gossip, which he said “poison hearts and lead nowhere.”

Focusing on Saint Paul’s exhortation to “bless and not curse” (Rm 12:14), the theme of his speech, the Pope encouraged the members of the Curia to refrain from malicious remarks and to favor a harmonious and joyful working community.

More children killed in Gaza: “It’s cruelty”

Before beginning his reflection, Pope Francis once again turned his thoughts to the deadly war underway in Gaza, where on Friday Israeli airstrikes killed at least 25 Palestinians, including seven children from the same family, in Jabalia al- Nazl, as Israel continues to bomb this already devastated territory. . “It’s not war. It’s cruelty,” the Pope lamented in improvised remarks. “I want to say this because it touches my heart.”

Pope Francis then reflected on the virtue of humility and its deep relevance to Christian life and community, connecting it to the mystery of the Incarnation. “Speaking well and not speaking evil is an expression of humility, and humility is the mark of the Incarnation and in particular of the mystery of the Nativity of the Lord which we are going to celebrate,” he declared, referring to the words of Saint Paul in his Letter to the Romans.

The path to humility: self-blame

To cultivate humility, Pope Francis suggested the practice of self-blame, drawing on the teachings of early Christian spiritual teachers like Dorothy of Gaza. Dorothy’s wisdom advocated introspection and transforming negative thoughts about others into positive ones. S

Self-accusation, Pope Francis stressed, “is the basis for us to be able to say ‘no’ to individualism and ‘yes’ to the ecclesial spirit of community”, in which “all are each other’s guardians.” of others and walk together in humility and charity. » and “are gradually freed from suspicion and distrust”.

The practice of self-blame, the Pope explained, reflects “condescension” (syncatabasis) of God in the Incarnation, an act of divine humility where “the Most High chooses to become small, like a grain of mustard, like a grain of man in the womb of a woman” taking “upon himself the unbearable burden of the sin of the world.”

This reality, continued Pope Francis, is illustrated by the Virgin Mary, who voluntarily participated in God’s project with humility, making her an archetype of this theological virtue: “She had no reason to accuse herself -herself, but she freely chose to fully cooperate in God’s work. condescension, in the abasement of the Son and in the descent of the Holy Spirit,” he said.

Bless ourselves, let us bless others in turn

Recalling that the Incarnation of the Word shows us that God has not condemned us but blessed us, the Pope stressed that “precisely because we ourselves have been blessed, we can bless others in our turn”. This blessing is born from immersion in the grace of God, through “moments of encounter, of friendship, in a spirit of openness and generosity” which can help us to renew and give new life to a work office space that might otherwise become barren.

Blessing Craftsmen

The Pope continued by emphasizing that as members of the Church “sign and instrument of God’s blessing for humanity”, we are all called to become “artisans of blessing”, considering the Church as a vast river branching into many streams to bring God’s blessing. blessing to the world. He described the Roman Curia as a “workshop” where various roles contribute to this mission: “I like to think of the Roman Curia as a big workshop in which there are many different jobs, but where everyone works in the same goal: to bless others and spread the blessing of God and Mother Church in the world.

Hidden and humble work

The Pope particularly praised the “hidden” work carried out by office staff who prepare letters and convey blessings to those in need. Their humble work, he said, is a “means of spreading blessings”, it is “the way of God himself, who in Jesus deigns to share our human condition and thus gives us his blessing”.

In conclusion, Pope Francis encouraged members of the Roman Curia to demonstrate humility and live as true “workers of blessing” in the world, not speaking ill of others: “We cannot write blessings and then speaking ill of our brother or sister.” he said.