The pope’s annual Christmas address to the Roman Curia was once a run-of-the-mill affair, but in 2005, the year he was elected pope, Benedict XVI used the speech to lay out his decisive vision for the implementation of the Second Vatican Council. Francis famously used the speech to decry the “diseases” of the Roman Curia.

This week, Pope Leo XIV delivered his own first Christmas address to the Curia. On a special roundtable episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and producers Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and Sebastian Gomes examine how Leo’s speech continued his predecessors’ priorities, and where it differed.

“Inside the Vatican” will take a break for Christmas and return on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, barring any breaking news.

Links from the show:

Pope Leo in Christmas address to Vatican officials asks: ‘Is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia?’

Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast

Hark! The stories of our favorite Christmas carols

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