At 12:15pm today in Saint Peter's Square, Pope Francis met with those participating in a meeting promoted by the Carabinieri, marking the bicentenary of the foundation of that organization.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I welcome all of you on the occasion of the bicentenary of the foundation of the Caribinieri. The people's police, as the Minister has said. It's true! I greet the Caribinieri who are currently serving and those who are retired, as well as your families. I greet the Ministers and the other authorities who are present and I thank the Commander General for the words with which he introduced this meeting. I thank the Minister and I reserve a special thought for my brother, the Military Ordinary, His Excellency, Santo Marciano and the Chaplains, an important presence in your midst and for your journey in faith.
To celebrate this significant date involves following two centuries of Italian history, so strong is the relationship between the Caribinieri and the country. Among the Caribineri and the people, there exists a relationship built on solidarity, trust and dedication to the common good. The Caribinieri's Stations are present and preside throughout the national territory: they are points of reference for the entire community, even in the rural and in the most remote and far flung sectors. This widespread presence calls you to participate in the life of the community in which you are present, seeking always to be close to the people's problems, especially to the most vulnerable persons and those who are in trouble. Your vocation is service.
Your service is expressed in the protection of individuals and of the environment, in action for the sake of safety, in respect for the rules of civil coexistence and for the common good: yours is a concrete and constant commitment to defending the rights and duties of individuals and of communities. The protection of public order and the security of persons are obligations which are ever more current in a changing society, which is open and ever growing, such as the Italian society in which you are called to work. Your obligations provide the necessary and indispensable conditions for every person, either as an individual or on behalf of the community to which that individual belongs, so that each person can express him- or herself, mature and therefore respond to the particular vocation that God has in mind for each of us.
Dear Caribinieri, your mission is expressed in service to your neighbour and engages you every day in living up to the trust and esteem that people have placed in you. This requires constant availability, patience, a spirit of sacrifice and a sense of duty. In your work, you are supported by a story written by faithful servants of the State who have honoured your Corps with the gift of themselves ... We remember these persons in this moment with love, with prayer and in silence (a moment of silence was observed) ... by remaining faithful to the oath taken and in generous service to the people. Let us remember the Servant of God, Salvo d
Of great importance is your commitment beyond national borders. In fact, even abroad, you strive to be builders of peace, to ensure security, respect for human dignity and to defend human rights in countries troubled by conflicts and tensions of all kinds. Never stop providing such service everywhere, at home and abroad, for it is a clear and joyful witness to humanity, especially toward the most needy and unfortunate.
May the Virgin Mary, your celestial patron, venerated under the title of Faithful Virgin, watch over you and your families. Look to her with confidence, especially in moments of fatigue and difficulty, secure in the knowledge that as a tender mother, she will present your needs and prayers to her Son Jesus.
Before invoking the Lord's blessing upon you, I want to tell you that on September 13 of this year, I plan to go as a pilgrim to the Military Shrine of Redipuglia, in the province of Gorizia, in order to pray for all those who have died in war. The occasion of my visit will be the centenary of the beginning of the enormous tragedy that was the First World War, of which I have heard so many tragic stories from the lips of my grandfather, who served at Piave.
Thank you, dear Caribinieri, for having come today in such great numbers! May the Lord bless you and your families.
I now invite you to pray to the Faithful Virgin, our Mother, for all the Caribinieri, for all authorities, for their families, and for those who have lost their lives in service to their country.
Hail Mary ...
Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the meeting with Caribinieri
Dear brothers and sisters,
I welcome all of you on the occasion of the bicentenary of the foundation of the Caribinieri. The people's police, as the Minister has said. It's true! I greet the Caribinieri who are currently serving and those who are retired, as well as your families. I greet the Ministers and the other authorities who are present and I thank the Commander General for the words with which he introduced this meeting. I thank the Minister and I reserve a special thought for my brother, the Military Ordinary, His Excellency, Santo Marciano and the Chaplains, an important presence in your midst and for your journey in faith.
To celebrate this significant date involves following two centuries of Italian history, so strong is the relationship between the Caribinieri and the country. Among the Caribineri and the people, there exists a relationship built on solidarity, trust and dedication to the common good. The Caribinieri's Stations are present and preside throughout the national territory: they are points of reference for the entire community, even in the rural and in the most remote and far flung sectors. This widespread presence calls you to participate in the life of the community in which you are present, seeking always to be close to the people's problems, especially to the most vulnerable persons and those who are in trouble. Your vocation is service.
Your service is expressed in the protection of individuals and of the environment, in action for the sake of safety, in respect for the rules of civil coexistence and for the common good: yours is a concrete and constant commitment to defending the rights and duties of individuals and of communities. The protection of public order and the security of persons are obligations which are ever more current in a changing society, which is open and ever growing, such as the Italian society in which you are called to work. Your obligations provide the necessary and indispensable conditions for every person, either as an individual or on behalf of the community to which that individual belongs, so that each person can express him- or herself, mature and therefore respond to the particular vocation that God has in mind for each of us.
Dear Caribinieri, your mission is expressed in service to your neighbour and engages you every day in living up to the trust and esteem that people have placed in you. This requires constant availability, patience, a spirit of sacrifice and a sense of duty. In your work, you are supported by a story written by faithful servants of the State who have honoured your Corps with the gift of themselves ... We remember these persons in this moment with love, with prayer and in silence (a moment of silence was observed) ... by remaining faithful to the oath taken and in generous service to the people. Let us remember the Servant of God, Salvo d
Of great importance is your commitment beyond national borders. In fact, even abroad, you strive to be builders of peace, to ensure security, respect for human dignity and to defend human rights in countries troubled by conflicts and tensions of all kinds. Never stop providing such service everywhere, at home and abroad, for it is a clear and joyful witness to humanity, especially toward the most needy and unfortunate.
May the Virgin Mary, your celestial patron, venerated under the title of Faithful Virgin, watch over you and your families. Look to her with confidence, especially in moments of fatigue and difficulty, secure in the knowledge that as a tender mother, she will present your needs and prayers to her Son Jesus.
Before invoking the Lord's blessing upon you, I want to tell you that on September 13 of this year, I plan to go as a pilgrim to the Military Shrine of Redipuglia, in the province of Gorizia, in order to pray for all those who have died in war. The occasion of my visit will be the centenary of the beginning of the enormous tragedy that was the First World War, of which I have heard so many tragic stories from the lips of my grandfather, who served at Piave.
Thank you, dear Caribinieri, for having come today in such great numbers! May the Lord bless you and your families.
I now invite you to pray to the Faithful Virgin, our Mother, for all the Caribinieri, for all authorities, for their families, and for those who have lost their lives in service to their country.
Hail Mary ...
No comments:
Post a Comment