Curial Diseases

Pope Francis begins to enumerate the “curial diseases” that would also be true to those priests handling important functions in the Church. Change was in the mind of Pope Francis. During that event, the Pope addressed the members of the Curia saying that the listing of the diseases “will help us to prepare for the sacrament of Reconciliation, which will be a good step for all of us to take in preparing for Christmas.”

1. The disease of thinking we are “immortal”, “immune” or downright “indispensable”, neglecting the need for regular check-ups. Pope Francis enumerated important reminders: a) a body that does not evaluate about itself is sick. He said that the curia should be self-critical.  “A Curia which is not self-critical, which does not keep up with things, which does not seek to be more fit, is a sick body;” b) no one is indispensable. No one lives in his office forever. The Pope made a simple advice to make a visit to the cemetery that “might help us see the names of many people who thought they were immortal, immune and indispensable! It is the disease of the rich fool in the Gospel, who thought he would live forever (cf. Lk 12:13-21), but also of those who turn into lords and masters, and think of themselves as above others and not at their service;” c) it is all about power. To stay long in the office as if he is immortal is a manifestation of power. “It is often an effect of the pathology of power, from a superiority complex, from a narcissism which passionately gazes at its own image and does not see the image of God on the face of others, especially the weakest and those most in need.”

2. The Disease Called the Martha Complex- another word for this is excessive busyness. Pope Francis said that “it is found in those who immerse themselves in work and inevitably neglect “the better part”: sitting at the feet of Jesus (cf. Lk 10:38-42).” He advised those in the curia to: a) take a rest. “Jesus called his disciples to “rest a while” (cf. Mk 6:31) for a reason, because neglecting needed rest leads to stress and agitation. A time of rest, for those who have completed their work, is necessary, obligatory and should be taken seriously: by spending time with one’s family and respecting holidays as moments of spiritual and physical recharging;” b) learn from Quohelet that “there is a season for everything.” (Eccle 3:1-15).

3. The Disease Called Mental and Spiritual Petrification- Pope Francis describes these people as: a) those who no longer men of God but “paper pushers.” They are “those who have a heart of stone, the “stiff-necked” (Acts 7:51-60), in those who in the course of time lose their interior serenity, alertness and daring, and hide under a pile of papers, turning into paper pushers and not men of God (cf. Heb 3:12) b) they lost their sentiments for Jesus. They may have lost their heart for those who are poor and those in need. Pope Francis described said that: “it is dangerous to lose the human sensitivity that enables us to weep with those who weep and to rejoice with those who rejoice! This is the disease of those who lose “the sentiments of Jesus” (cf. Phil 2:5-11), because as time goes on their hearts grow hard and become incapable of loving unconditionally the Father and our neighbour (cf. Mt 22:34-35).” Since they lost their sentiments for Christ, they also lost their “sentiments of humility and unselfishness, of detachment and generosity.”

4. The disease of excessive planning and of functionalism. Pope Francis explained that when a person is convinced with excessive planning and of functionalism: a) he eventually becomes a manager rather than a leader or a shepherd. “When the apostle plans everything down to the last detail and believes that with perfect planning things will fall into place, he becomes an accountant or an office manager:” b) he forgets that we have to be animated by the Holy Spirit. The freedom of the Holy Spirit “which is always greater and more flexible than any human planning (cf. Jn 3:8)” is forgotten. The person becomes sedentary and unchanging in his ways. Pope Francis reminds us that the “Holy Spirit! … He is freshness, imagination, and newness”.

5. The disease of poor coordination. For Pope Francis, poor coordination is the result of the lack of communion. He said: “Once its members lose communion among themselves, the body loses its harmonious functioning and its equilibrium; it then becomes an orchestra which produces noise: its members do not work together and lose the spirit of fellowship and teamwork.”

6. The “spiritual Alzheimer’s disease.” What happens when there is a spiritual Alzheimer’s disease. Pope Francis enumerates:  a) It consists in losing the memory of our personal “salvation history”, our past history with the Lord and our “first love” (Rev 2:4); b) It involves a progressive decline in the spiritual faculties which in the long or short run greatly handicaps a person by making him incapable of doing anything on his own, living in a state of absolute dependence on his often imaginary perceptions; c) We see it in those who have lost the memory of their encounter with the Lord; in those who no longer see life’s meaning in “deuteronomic” terms; in those who are completely caught up in the present moment, in their passions, whims and obsessions; in those who build walls and routines around themselves, and thus become more and more the slaves of idols carved by their own hands.”

7. The disease of rivalry and vainglory. Pope Francis understands this as the search for entitlement. The “clothes” and the titles of honor have become the “primary object of life.” The Pope said: “This is a disease which leads us to be men and woman of deceit, and to live a false “mysticism” and a false “quietism”. Saint Paul himself defines such persons as “enemies of the cross of Christ” because “they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (Phil 3:19).”

8. The disease of existential schizophrenia. Pope Francis describes these people as living not in reality and far the truths of other’s existence. He describes also these people: a) having lived a double life, the fruit of that hypocrisy typical of the mediocre and of a progressive spiritual emptiness which no doctorates or academic titles can fill; b) It is a disease which often strikes those who abandon pastoral service and restrict themselves to bureaucratic matters, thus losing contact with reality, with concrete people; c) they create their own parallel world, where they set aside all that they teach with severity to others and begin to live a hidden and often dissolute life.

9. The disease of gossiping, grumbling and back-biting. Pope Francis describes these people as sower of weeds rather than good seeds.  It is a grave illness which begins simply, perhaps even in small talk, and takes over a person, making him become a “sower of weeds” (like Satan) and in many cases, a cold-blooded killer of the good name of our colleagues and confrères. The Pope warns us to beware against the terrorism of gossip. It is the disease of cowardly persons who lack the courage to speak out directly, but instead speak behind other people’s backs.

10. The disease of idolizing superiors. Pope Francis describes these people as: a) those who court their superiors in the hope of gaining their favour. They are victims of careerism and opportunism; they honour persons and not God (cf. Mt 23:8-12); b) They serve thinking only of what they can get and not of what they should give; c) Small-minded persons, unhappy and inspired only by their own lethal selfishness (cf. Gal 5:16-25).

11. The disease of indifference to others. Pope Francis explains that indifference towards others begins with the lack of sincerity and humility in human relationships. He explained that “When the most knowledgeable person does not put that knowledge at the service of his less knowledgeable colleagues.” This includes self-centeredness and the lack of the desire to share knowledge or even skills. “When we learn something and then keep it to ourselves rather than sharing it in a helpful way with others.”

12. The disease of a lugubrious face. These are the people who consider that seriousness is more of the external appearance rather than the sincerity of heart. Pope Francis says that they “put on a face of melancholy and severity, and treat others – especially those we consider our inferiors – with rigour, brusqueness and arrogance.”

13. The disease of hoarding. Pope Francis says that there are those who have a heart to accumulate goods, “not out of need but only in order to feel secure.” Accumulating goods only burdens and inexorably slows down the journey! Here I think of an anecdote: the Spanish Jesuits used to describe the Society of Jesus as the “light brigade of the Church”.

14. The disease of closed circles. Pope Francis observed that there are those belong to cliques and groups are more faithful in their participation to these groups rather than to the Church or to Christ himself. He said that “this disease too always begins with good intentions, but with the passing of time it enslaves its members and becomes a cancer which threatens the harmony of the Body and causes immense evil – scandals – especially to our weaker brothers and sisters. Self-destruction, “friendly fire” from our fellow soldiers, is the most insidious danger. It is the evil which strikes from within and, as Christ says: “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste” (Lk 11:17).”

15. The disease of worldly profit, of forms of self-exhibition. Pope Francis describes this attitude as turning service into power. His power becomes a way to gain profit rather than service. Those who are caught with this disease are willing to take action of revenge or the capacity to attack rather than be humble and simple. They attempt to adapt a practice that is not aligned with Christian values but rather they are “ready to slander, defame and discredit others, even in newspapers and magazines.” These people who are focused at worldly profit are willing to pursue their goals even at the expense of hurting the Body. “This disease does great harm to the Body because it leads persons to justify the use of any means whatsoever to attain their goal, often in the name of justice and transparency! Here I remember a priest who used to call journalists to tell – and invent – private and confidential matters involving his confrères and parishioners.”