Pope Francis slams Vatican: Clergy suffers from “spiritual Alzheimer’s”

On Monday, Pope Francis delivered the annual Christmas greeting to the cardinals, bishops and priests of the Vatican that was anything but cheery. In fact, the leader of the Catholic institution used the opportunity to shame his clergy for many members’ desire for power at the expense of living a religious life — what he called, “spiritual Alzheimer’s.”

He spoke of the “terrorism of gossip” which can “kill the reputation of our colleagues and brothers in cold blood.” He said that cliques can “enslave their members and become a cancer...