Pope Francis: Vatican officials suffer from 'spiritual Alzheimer's'


In a searing speech to the Vatican bureaucracy on Monday, Pope Francis openly criticized his senior cardinals, bishops, and priests for a wide variety of "ailments," and expressed hope that they will atone for their sins and be cured in 2015.
In the speech, Pope Francis laid out "15 Ailments of the Curia" suffered by the church officials that run the Holy See, including indifference to others, existential schizophrenia, and spiritual Alzheimer's. (Read the full list of ailments at Vatican Insider.) "The Curia is called on to always improve itself and grow in communion, holiness, and knowledge to fulfill its mission," said Pope Francis. "But even it, as any human body, can suffer from ailments, dysfunctions, illnesses."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the extended critique wasn't particularly well-received by its targets. "The cardinals were not amused," reported the Associated Press.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
-
Prevost elected first US pope, becomes Leo XIV
speed read Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is a Chicago native who spent decades living in Peru
-
Pope Francis dies at 88
Speed Read 'How much contempt is stirred up at times toward the vulnerable, the marginalized and migrants,' Pope Francis wrote in his final living message
-
Pope returns to Vatican after long hospital stay
Speed Read Pope Francis entered the hospital on Feb. 14 and battled double pneumonia
-
Texas megachurch founder charged with sex crimes
Speed Read Robert Morris, former spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, is accused of sexually abusing a child
-
Pope Francis suffers setback with respiratory episodes
Speed Read The 88-year-old pope continues to battle pneumonia
-
US Christianity's long decline has halted, Pew finds
Speed Read 62% of Americans call themselves Christian, a population that has been 'relatively stable' for the past five years
-
Pope Francis hospitalized with 'complex' illness
Speed Read The Vatican says their leader has a respiratory infection, raising new concerns about his health
-
The Aga Khan, billionaire spiritual leader, dies at 88
Speed Read Prince Karim Al-Hussaini's philanthropy funded hospitals, housing and schools in some of the world's poorest places