If the 2024 film “Conclave” dramatized the Vatican's inner workings with intrigue, Pope Francis delivered something of a real-life sequel on Saturday, urging Vatican bureaucrats to cut the backstabbing and embrace humility during his annual Christmas address.

“Gossip is an evil that destroys social life, sickens people’s hearts and leads to nothing,” the 88-year-old pontiff admonished. “The people say it very well: Gossip is zero.”

Francis’ holiday speeches to the Curia have become infamously candid, often shining a light on what he perceives to be workplace toxicity. As reported by the Associated Press, in 2014, he outlined the “15 ailments” of Vatican life, accusing priests, bishops and cardinals of power-grabbing and spiritual complacency. This year, he revisited gossip as a recurring evil, likening the Curia’s atmosphere to any insular office rife with whispered critiques.

The pope also denounced global cruelty, condemning the bombing of children in Gaza as “not war, but cruelty.”

Francis’ call for humility and collaboration comes as the Vatican gears up for the 2025 Holy Year, with over 32 million pilgrims expected in Rome.

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