Pope Leo XIV used his Christmas address to call on members of the Roman Curia to set aside ambition and cultivate genuine fraternal friendship, echoing concerns raised by Pope Francis but in a gentler tone. He urged Vatican officials to examine their consciences and work for unity and peace. Separately, Leo proposed measures to address a global decline in priests — 406,996 in 2023 — including improved seminary formation, economic equalization and communal living to combat isolation. He framed these steps as necessary to invite young people to consider a priestly vocation.
Pope Leo XIV Calls For Fraternal Unity In The Roman Curia, Proposes Measures To Stem Priest Shortage
Pope Leo XIV delivers the Angelus noon prayer in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Pope Leo XIV on Monday used his Christmas message to urge cardinals, bishops and other officials of the Roman Curia to set aside personal ambition and partisan interests and to cultivate genuine fraternal friendship within the Vatican bureaucracy.
“Is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia? To have relationships of genuine fraternal friendship?”
The American pontiff’s question acknowledged a persistent problem: the Curia can be a difficult, and at times toxic, workplace. While Pope Leo drew on the tradition established by his predecessor, Pope Francis, he avoided Francis’s sharper phrasing — such as references to “spiritual Alzheimer’s,” the “cancer” of cliques or the “corruption” of ambition — and adopted a milder, constructive tone focused on reform and reconciliation.
Leo, who served in the Vatican for two years before his election and has been described as close to Francis, asked Vatican officials to examine their consciences and change habits that harm the Church’s mission. He acknowledged how resentment and the pursuit of personal advantage can take root after long service:
“At times this bitterness finds its way among us as well, when, after many years of service in the Curia, we observe with disappointment that certain dynamics — linked to the exercise of power, the desire to prevail, or the pursuit of personal interests — are slow to change.”
He emphasized the pastoral and institutional benefits of trust and mutual respect: “Amid daily toil, it is a grace to find trustworthy friends, where masks fall away, no one is used or sidelined, genuine support is offered, and each person’s worth and competence are respected, preventing resentment and dissatisfaction.”
Pope Leo XIV delivers the Angelus noon prayer in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Unity and Witness
Against a backdrop of global discord and heightened rhetoric — sometimes amplified by digital media and political life — Leo urged Curial leaders to foster communion within the Church and to work for peace and universal fraternity in the wider world. His approach has generally been more conciliatory than Francis’s at times thornier style, reflecting a priority on healing divisions and building consensus.
Support for Priests and Seminary Reform
Separately, Pope Leo addressed what he called a “crisis” in priestly vocations and offered concrete proposals on the 60th anniversary of two Vatican decrees on seminary formation. He proposed measures aimed at helping priests to remain joyful, resilient and rooted in community life.
Key proposals include improved seminary formation to help men persevere after ordination, greater economic parity between priests serving in poor and wealthy parishes, and encouragement for bishops to create more options for communal living to counter isolation and loneliness. As an Augustinian priest — a religious family that emphasizes community life — Leo highlighted the Church’s own traditions as resources for addressing the shortage.
Global figures cited by Vatican-reporting agencies show a steady decline in the number of priests: 406,996 worldwide in 2023, down 734 from 2022, with growth in vocations limited to Africa and Asia. The FIDES missionary news agency notes that the downward trend began around 2015 after earlier gains.
Leo concluded by urging bishops, seminary formators and parish communities to have the courage to make “strong and liberating proposals to young people” and to address the varied social and cultural reasons behind the vocation decline.
Associated Press religion coverage benefits from a collaboration with The Conversation US, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
