Pope's un-merry Christmas message

The dangers of working too hard and succumbing to gossip can be found in every office - including the administrative body of the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Francis, 78, listed 15 "ailments" of the Vatican Curia during his Christmas address to the cardinals, bishops and priests who run the central administration of the Catholic Church.

The Pope said careerism and greed had infected the group with "spiritual Alzheimer's", which had made them forget they were supposed to be joyful men of God.

His speech met with tepid applause from the Curia, and few were smiling as he listed the 15 "ailments", with footnotes. He finished by urging them to be more joyful, saying how much good a "dose of humour" could do.

Vatican sickness - Francis' 15 ailments
1) Feeling immortal, immune or indispensable. "A Curia that doesn't criticise itself, doesn't update itself, that doesn't seek to improve itself is a sick body."

2) Working too hard. It is the disease of those who, like Martha in the Gospel, "lose themselves in their work, inevitably neglecting what is better; sitting at Jesus' feet".

3) Becoming spiritually and mentally hardened. "It's dangerous to lose that human sensibility that lets you cry with those who are crying, and celebrate with those who are joyful."

4) Over-planning. "Preparing things well is necessary, but don't fall into the temptation of trying to close or direct the freedom of the Holy Spirit ..."

5) Working without co-ordination, like an orchestra that produces undisciplined noise. "When the foot tells the hand, 'I don't need you,' or the hand tells the head, 'I'm in charge."'

6) Spiritual Alzheimer's. "We see it in the people who have forgotten their encounter with the Lord ... in those who depend completely on their here and now, on their passions, whims and manias, in those who build walls around themselves and become enslaved to the idols they have built with their own hands."

7) Indulging in rivalry or boastfulness. "When one's appearance, the colour of one's vestments or honorific titles become the primary objective of life."

8) Suffering existential schizophrenia. "It's a sickness that often affects those who, abandoning pastoral service, limit themselves to bureaucratic work, losing contact with reality and concrete people."

9) Committing the terrorism of gossip. "It's the sickness of cowardly people who, not having the courage to speak directly, talk behind people's backs."

10) Glorifying one's bosses. "It's the sickness of those who court their superiors, hoping for their benevolence ... they honour people who aren't God."

11) Being indifferent to others. "When, out of jealousy or cunning, one finds joy in seeing another fall rather than helping him up and encouraging him."

12) Having a funereal face. "Theatrical severity and sterile pessimism are often symptoms of fear and insecurity. The apostle must be polite, serene, enthusiastic and happy and transmit joy wherever he goes."

13) Wanting material possessions. "When the apostle tries to fill an existential emptiness in his heart by accumulating material goods, not because he needs them but because he'll feel more secure."

14) Forming closed circles that seek to be stronger than the whole. "This sickness always starts with good intentions but as time goes by, it enslaves its members by becoming a cancer that threatens the harmony of the body and causes so much bad - scandals - especially to our younger brothers."

15) Seeking worldly profit and showing off. "It's the sickness of those who insatiably try to multiply their powers and to do so are capable of calumny, defamation and discrediting others , even in newspapers and magazines, naturally to show themselves as being more capable than others."