Pope Francis recommended listening to one another, getting to know the world around the Church and developing their sense of humor in his pre-Christmas address to the members of the Vatican Curia on Thursday. He spoke to the lay staff of the Vatican about the superficiality of social networking sites.
Pope Francis emphasized that the message of Christmas is needed as much as possible in these times, which are affected by the violence of war, climate change, poverty, suffering and hunger.
"They are still hungry in the world!"
the pope said.
In his traditional celebratory address to the clergy working in the offices of the Holy See, Pope Francis gave guidance on the values he believes they should carry out the work of the Curia. First of all, he mentioned listening to each other and stressed that no one should look down on the other: "there is only one case where we can look down on someone: if we (bend down to him and) help him to rise."
The head of the church stated: it is necessary to avoid that the members of the curia prejudicely brush aside each other's opinions instead of listening to each other.
Instead of ping pong between views, we need openness and honesty with each other
said Pope Francis.
He noted: sixty years have passed since World War II. Since the Vatican Council, and there is still a debate about the division between conservatives and progressives: "this is not what makes the difference, the real essential difference is between those who love (the church) and those who (serve) out of habit".
He asked the employees of the mansion not to make their decisions according to regulations, schemes or worldly criteria, but based on their insights and knowledge. Do not strengthen your own certainties and security, do not solve the questions posed to the church with quick answers. The immobility of the members of the church locks them into a labyrinth of fear, rigidity and mediocrity, which also limits their service, he stressed. According to the Pope, instead of being locked in a labyrinth, the manor must move along with the world.
Finally, he asked his fellow priests working in the Vatican:
do their work with joy and a sense of humor, because the latter is a ready-made recipe for health.
As usual, Pope Francis received lay workers and family members of Vatican City before the holidays.
He declared: "According to God's style", Jesus was born not boastfully and noisily, but on the contrary, away from the spotlight, hidden, in the smallest possible place, in a barn, in a poor family.
"Mária and József didn't even have a home"
the pope added.
He added: we live in an age dominated by obsessive attention. "Everyone puts themselves in the window. This is the age of make-up, in which everyone paints not only their face, but also their soul, and this is the worst”.
Referring to social networking sites, Pope Francis said: they are like a crystal glass in which there is wine, but no one cares about its quality. "Good wine is drunk from a simple glass," said the Pope.
He believed that the family is the place where appearances and masks do not matter, instead of noise there is quiet love, small gestures, and attention to each other.
MTI
Featured image source: MTI/Zoltán Máthé
