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rug

(82,333 posts)
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 10:26 PM Dec 2015

Pope Francis declares list of 'needed virtues' for Catholic church

Pontiff uses annual Christmas speech to call for values such as humanity, accountability and humility after year of scandals in Vatican

Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Rome
Monday 21 December 2015 07.55 EST

Pope Francis presented the Catholic church’s bureaucracy with a list of “needed virtues” including humanity, accountability and humility, following a year in which the Vatican was shaken by a number of high-profile scandals.

The annual Christmas speech delivered by the 79-year-old pontiff was remarkable in one respect: although he acknowledged that some of the “diseases” of the church’s ruling body in Rome had been on full display during the year, he struck a far more conciliatory tone before the crowd of senior church officials than last year, signalling a possible softening in his approach.

“Diseases and even scandals cannot obscure the efficiency of the services rendered to the pope and to the entire church of the Roman Curia, with great effort, responsibility, commitment and dedication, and this is a real source of consolation,” Francis said.

In what sounded like a pep talk for a beleaguered team in need of some spiritual sustenance, he listed 12 virtues that could serve as a practical aid to church officials.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/21/pope-francis-list-needed-virtues-catholic-church-christmas

1:17 video at link.

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