Whingers, whiners and moaners have been put on notice by none other than Pope Francis, who has stuck a big sign to the front door of his Vatican apartment that reads: “Complaining is forbidden”.

The notice, in large white letters on a red background, appeared in recent days on the door that leads to the pontiff’s private rooms in Casa Santa Marta, the modest residence where he lives in the shadow of St Peter’s Basilica.

The good-humoured notice appears to be aimed at cardinals, priests and members of his staff who may be more inclined to bring problems than solutions to the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.

Unlike his predecessors, who traditionally fled the torrid summer heat of Rome for the cooler environs of Castel Gandolfo, a papal residence in the Alban Hills outside the capital, Pope Francis eschews holidays and resolutely works through July and August.

The sign says that “offenders are subject to a syndrome of victimhood that reduces their sense of humour and capacity to solve problems.”