In an unscheduled speech to his clergy, Pope Francis warns priests and nuns against partaking in the 'terrorism of gossip'.

The speech which coincided with the end of the Year Of Consecrated Life, told those present that gossiping is not dissimilar to terrorism, as both can send a community into chaos.

“If you get an urge to say something against a brother or a sister, to drop a gossip bomb, bite your tongue! Hard!” he urged his listeners. “If you throw the bomb of gossip into your community, this is not being a neighbor: this is going to war! It divides people, provoking distances and anarchy in the community. And if, in this Year of Mercy, each one of you could avoid becoming a terrorist of gossip, it would be a success for the Church, a great success of holiness!”

Later on in the same speech, he commented on the falling numbers of those choosing a religious life and the decreasing amount of vocations.

"Why is the womb of consecrated live becoming so sterile? Some congregations experiment with 'artificial insemination.' What do they do? They welcome... 'Yes come, come, come'. And then there are problems. No. We must be serious about who we take. We must clearly distinguish if it is a real vocation, and help it to grow."