Pope urges cardinals to shun gossip and cliques

Pope Francis has urged cardinals, who make up the top echelon of the Roman Catholic Church, to shun the intrigue, gossip, and cliques typical of a royal court.

Since his election nearly a year ago, Francis has often told his top aides not to live or behave like a privileged class. The eight-year papacy of his predecessor, Benedict, was marked by mishaps and missteps, which were often blamed on a dysfunctional Vatican bureaucracy and intrigue befitting a Renaissance court.

Yesterday, Francis celebrated a Mass with 18 of the 19 new cardinals who were elevated to that rank on Saturday. One could not attend because of illness.