Pope Leo XIV on the chair. Photo: Collected

VATICAN CITY, Dec 22, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Pope Leo XIV on Monday warned against 
power struggles in the Vatican administration and called for "humility" in a 
more moderate echo of his predecessor Pope Francis's rhetoric.

Leo was speaking to leaders of the Roman Curia -- the Catholic Church's 
governing body -- as he prepares for his first Christmas as pope.

"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," the 
pope said.

Before being elected pope in May by a conclave of fellow cardinals, Leo 
worked in the Vatican department in charge of selecting new bishops.

"We then ask ourselves: is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia? To 
have relationships of genuine fraternal friendship?" the pope continued.

In real friendships, Leo said, "no one is used or sidelined, genuine support 
is offered, and each person's worth and competence are respected, preventing 
resentment and dissatisfaction".

In his speech, the pope also referred to "forces of division" which he said 
remained a "challenge" for the Church.

During his 12 years as pope, Francis would often use his Christmas messages 
to the Roman Curia to stop power games -- sometimes incurring resentment from 
high-ranking Church figures.

In a particularly scathing message in December 2014, the late Argentine pope 
accused the Vatican bureaucracy of suffering "spiritual Alzheimer's" and 
being like "an orchestra that plays out of tune".

Leo has struck a more conciliatory tone.

In a separate message to employees of the Vatican administration, Leo said 
the lesson of Christmas was "simplicity and humility".

"Let us all work together to ensure that this is increasingly the style of 
the Church in all its expressions," he said.