Italy - Religion - Pope Francis adresses Vatican Curia for Christmas Greetings

Pope Francis addressed members of the Curia gathered in the Vatican Clementine Hall for the annual Christmas Greetings. The Pontiff urged the Roman Curia to "return to the essentials" and follow a path of gratitude, conversion, renewal, penance and reconciliation as indicated by the Year of Mercy. Recalling briefly this same occasion last year during which he made a long list of curial diseases that adversely affect and infect the Church, Pope Francis said that some of those "diseases became evident in the course of the past year, causing no small pain to the entire body and harming many souls". (Photo by Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis via Getty Images)