Pope Leo XIV addressed Vatican employees during the annual Christmas greeting, urging them to adopt humility and simplicity. The Pope called for humility and simplicity, inspired by Jesus' birth, to become the defining style of the Church in all its forms. The audience included employees of the Roman Curia, the Governorate of the Vatican City State, and the Vicariate of Rome, along with their families. Pope Leo expressed his intention to visit the various workplaces to meet employees personally. He encouraged employees to convey his greetings to their families, particularly the elderly and sick, assuring them of his prayers.
3 months ago
Pope Leo XIV addressed Vatican employees, Roman Curia staff, Governorate workers, and Vicariate of Rome families during the annual Christmas greetings on December 22, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall.1 2 3
He described the Vatican as a "great mosaic of offices and services" and expressed plans to visit workplaces with God's help.1 2 3
The Pope thanked attendees for their warm welcome and dedication.1 2 3
He asked them to convey his Christmas greetings and prayers to their families, especially the elderly and sick.1 2 3
Pope Leo highlighted traditional nativity figures like blacksmiths and innkeepers, noting how their daily tasks gain meaning in God's plan centered on Christ.1
He said the Christ Child in the manger blesses all work, spreading God's tenderness, even as figures like Mary and shepherds adore nearby.1 2 3
The Pope emphasized that performing tasks with commitment praises God, regardless of seeming detachment from central events.1 2 3
He linked professional excellence to family love, stating it gives glory to the Lord and fulfills the Church's mission.1 2 3
Pope Leo urged all to learn humility and simplicity from Jesus' birth, making it "the style of the Church in all its expressions."1 2 3
This vision applies to Vatican life, where dedication in one's place honors God.1
After his blessing, the Pope greeted individuals present.2 3
The address aligns with his ongoing effort to connect personally as he settles into his role.1
Examine humility and work ethic as ecclesial virtues in Catholic doctrine
In Catholic doctrine, humility and work ethic emerge as interconnected virtues that shape the Christian's participation in the ecclesial community. Humility fosters a disposition of self-emptying and dependence on God, essential for authentic prayer, worship, and communal life, while work ethic dignifies human labor as a redemptive collaboration with Christ, oriented toward the service of persons and the common good. Together, they counteract vices like envy and idleness, promoting the Church's mission of sanctification and cura animarum—the care of souls. Rooted in Scripture and Tradition, these virtues enable believers to live as disciples within the Body of Christ, uniting personal holiness with communal witness.
Catholic teaching presents work not as mere toil but as a fundamental expression of human dignity, inscribed in our nature as images of God. Human work "proceeds directly from persons created in the image of God and called to prolong the work of creation by subduing the earth, both with and for one another." It is a duty: "If any one will not work, let him not eat," echoing St. Paul, underscoring that idleness undermines the order God intends for society. Work honors the Creator's gifts, exercises human potential, and fulfills the call to provide for family and community.
This ethic is profoundly redemptive when united to Christ, the carpenter of Nazareth crucified on Calvary. "By enduring the hardship of work in union with Jesus... man collaborates in a certain fashion with the Son of God in his redemptive work." "Work united to Christ can be redemptive," affirming its sanctifying power and role in animating earthly realities with the Spirit of Christ. Economic activity, including production and profit, must serve persons first, within moral limits and social justice, not power or unchecked gain.
Even rest is integral: on Sundays and holy days, the faithful abstain from labors impeding worship, joy, or relaxation, preserving the Lord's Day as a foretaste of eternal rest. Thus, work ethic forms character, combats sloth, and builds the Church by fostering reliability and service—hallmarks of the virtuous life Aquinas describes as a "stable quality of mind" for acting rightly.
Humility stands as the bedrock virtue for ecclesial life, enabling the soul to approach God "out of the depths" rather than pride. "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God... But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or 'out of the depths' of a humble and contrite heart?" The baptized combat envy through "good-will, humility, and abandonment to the providence of God," freeing them from self-centeredness.
In the Lord's Prayer and adoration, humility manifests as childlike trust: a "humble and trusting heart that enables us 'to turn and become like children'" to whom the Father reveals himself. To adore God is to "acknowledge, in respect and absolute submission, the 'nothingness of the creature'... praise and exalt him and to humble oneself, as Mary did in the Magnificat." This sets man free from sin's slavery and worldly idolatry, orienting the heart toward communal worship.
Humility's ecclesial dimension shines in docility to the Spirit, as seen in St. Ambrose's story: the people of Milan acclaimed him bishop despite his unbaptized state, and his humble response trusted God's grace. It undergirds the Church's holiness, where charity unites members beyond juridical bonds, as sinners grow toward sanctity in the Body of Christ.
These virtues converge in the Church's cura animarum, where philosophy heals the soul through virtue, akin to medicine for the body—a theme Aquinas wove into the Summa amid Dominican preaching and confession. Work ethic serves the ecclesial community by providing means for life and evangelization, while humility ensures labor remains subordinate to worship and fraternal charity.
In modern contexts, Pope Leo XIV echoes this: simplicity and humility open hearts to hope, renewing Church and world through authentic faith lived in vocations—from laity to clergy. Virtues like these counter modern vices, fostering "fixed disposition to act rightly" amid technological shifts, where work must prioritize human dignity. The Church, as sacrament of communion, thrives when members embody humility in mutual love and diligent work for the common good.
Controversies, such as balancing labor with rest or technology's risks, resolve through doctrine: recent teachings affirm work's primacy for persons, not profit, with humility guarding against dehumanizing ideologies. No source posits disagreement; the Catechism's consistency prevails.
Humility and work ethic, as ecclesial virtues, empower Catholics to participate redemptively in God's plan: humble adoration fuels prayerful labor, while diligent work sanctifies community life. By cultivating them, believers advance the Church's holiness, echoing Aquinas's vision and papal calls to docility. In a world tempted by pride and sloth, these virtues invite renewal—live them daily for the glory of God and service to His people.