Vatican City - If anyone had any doubts
how Pope Francis feels about people who always complain, the
answer is now tacked to the door of his frugal suite in a
Vatican residence: "No Whining".
Under the explicit warning, the red-and-white Italian
language sign goes on to say that "violators are subject to a
syndrome of always feeling like a victim and the consequent
reduction of your sense of humour and capacity to solve
problems".
A picture of the sign was posted on the Vatican Insider
website and its presence on the pope's door confirmed to Reuters
by its editor-in-chief Andrea Tornielli, an author who is close
to Francis and has interviewed him several times.
The sign is adorned with the international symbol for 'no' -
a backslash in a circle.
It adds: "The penalty is doubled if the violation take place
in the presence of children. To get the best out of yourself,
concentrate on your potential and not on your limitations."
Then the closing zinger: "Stop complaining and take steps to
improve your life".
The sign was given to the pope recently by Italian
psychologist and self-help author Salvo Noe. Francis promised
Noe he would put it up in his office for a laugh.
Francis has had no shortage of complainers in the Vatican
and in the Church since his election in 2013.
He has tried to
steer the 1.2 billion-member Church on a more inclusive and
merciful path, angering conservatives who say he his sowing
doctrinal confusion.
One recent episode involved German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller,
a German whom the pope removed last month from his post as
Vatican doctrinal chief at the end of a five-year term.
Mueller, who disagrees with the pope on a number of issues,
apparently expected his mandate to be renewed automatically.
Mueller later told a German newspaper that the way he was
treated was "unacceptable".