Saturday, February 8, 2020

Greetings for Public Security Officers

At 11:15am local time this morning (5:15am EST), in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the Directors and Agents from the Inspectorate for Public Security at the Vatican.


Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
addressed to Public Security Officers

Mister Chief of Police,
Mister Prefect and Mister Director,
Dear Staff and Agents!

This meeting, at the beginning of the year, between the Successor of Peter and you, who form the Inspectorate for Public Security at the Vatican, is part of a beautiful and consolidated tradition. I thank Prefect Gabrielli for his words, in particular for the reference to the value of consistency. May God help us all in this! I welcome you with pleasure, especially to express once again to each of you my gratitude for your precious work. 2020 is already advancing, but I also wish to offer you my best wishes for this year that the Lord has given us. May it be a time of serenity and peace, for you and for your families.

Your service to the Holy See and to the Vatican City State has a special meaning and value. It is not easy to relate every day with tourists and pilgrims who visit the Square and Saint Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums, or who come to meet the Pope. In a variety of situations, you are called to combine their needs with the indispensable rule of public order and the peaceful development of life around Vatican City and in places that are sacred to the Catholic faith. And your work is equally important on the occasion of my pastoral visits to Rome and Italy, wherever the exercise of the ministry leads me. On many occasions, I have been able to see for myself the attentiveness and the effectiveness of your discreet presence! This I want to underscore: discreet; effective and careful, but discreet. And this is always carried out at the highest human level. For this, I thank you very much.

In addition to competence and professionalism, your work manifests sincere love and faithful attachment to the Apostolic See. I am personally grateful to you for everything, especially your daily service, carried out in a commendable way; and in this circumstance I intend to renew my esteem for the spirit that animates you. Your constant cooperation with the Vatican Gendarmerie makes it even more effective and meritorious.

Dear friends, the pleasure of finding ourselves in this almost familiar meeting translates on my part into prayer and hope. At the beginning of the year, I entrust to the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary the intentions that you carry in your heart, so that the Lord may bless your every activity and your whole life, the ideals, the resolutions, the aspirations. May Our Lady especially protect your children and your elders, and help your loved ones who are experiencing difficult times.

I renew my hope that your daily commitment, which is sometimes not without risks, will always be animated by the flame of faith, hope and charity. A humble, simple but genuine flame.

Bring my best wishes also to your family members at home. For all of you, I invoke prosperity, harmony and peace from the Lord. I bless you all and I bless your work; and I ask you, please, to pray for me. Thank you!
Testo originale nella lingua italiana

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