Pope uses Christmas greeting to ask Vatican staff to avoid ‘rigid ideologies’

Pope Francis Francis used his annual Christmas greeting to the Holy See hierarchy to them listen to one another and to others (Andrew Medichini/AP)

Pope Francis has urged Vatican bureaucrats to avoid “rigid ideological positions” that prevent them from understanding today’s reality, an appeal made days after he formally allowed priests to bless same-sex couples in a radical change of Vatican policy.

Francis used his annual Christmas greeting to the Holy See hierarchy to encourage the cardinals, bishops and laypeople who run the Vatican to listen to one another and to others so they can evolve to truly offer service to the Catholic Church.