At 12:00 noon today, in the Sala Clementina at the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the Carabinieri who are serving in the Vatican.
Dear Carabinieri,
I cordially welcome each one of you, and I thank the Commander General of the Army for his words.
I am pleased to meet you in order to express my gratitude. You provide the community with a service that is at times challenging and always indispensable, as you spend your energies to protect and to provide security and public order, in collaboration with other security forces. Thanks to you, people find the help they need in order to respect the laws that maintain a serene and harmonious atmosphere. Your presence here serves the concrete solidarity of the entire community, especially those who are disadvantaged who can find precious assistance in their moments of difficulty. Many times, this help is unseen; I am referring to the words spoken by your Commander: some hidden actions that no one sees in our daily service ... This is very beautiful, only God sees these acts. God never forgets these things.
Your Caribinieri Company of Rome Saint Peter's collaborates effectively with the competent organizations of the Holy See in order to favour the tranquil development of events which, throughout the year, take place in Saint Peter's Square and surrounding areas. I thank you very much for your work which is at the service of pilgrims and tourists. It is an activity that requires professionalism and a sense of responsibility, as well as attention to each person - many of whom are elderly -, continual patience and availability to all people. These are not easy qualities, but it is important that we continue them with God's help. You should smile often, smiles in moments which are most difficult help to facilitate your service to the public, no?
The Holy Year of Mercy opens before all of us the possibility of being renewed, starting with an interior purification that is reflected in the way we act and also in the exercise of our daily activities. This spiritual dimension of the jubilee events motivate each one of us to ask ourselves some important questions about the real commitment of responding to the exigencies of faithfulness to the gospel, to which the Lord calls us and from which we begin our states in life. In this way, the Jubilee becomes an ideal occasion for personal and community verification and the paradigm by which we verify the works of mercy, either corporal or spiritual. The Lord remembers: All those who have done this for the least of my brothers, has done it for me (Mt 25:40).
This teaching of Jesus can also guide you, who are responsible for the protection of public order, and help you in every circumstance to be promotors of solidarity, especially toward the most in need and those who are defenceless; to be keepers of the right to life, through your commitment to security and for the safety of all people. In fulfilling this mission, you bear witness to the fact that every person is loved by God, is his creature and worthy of welcome and respect. May the grace of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy renew the spirit with which you dedicate yourselves to your profession, making it possible for you to live it with more attention, dedication and generosity.
I express once again to all of you my gratitude for your appreciated service and for your collaboration with the Holy See. I invoke divine assistance upon each of you and upon your daily work, and I confide you to the maternal protection of the Madonna, the faithful Virgin. With all my heart, I give you my blessing, and I extend this blessing also to your families. And I ask you please to pray for me. Thank you.
Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
to members of the Carabinieri
Dear Carabinieri,
I cordially welcome each one of you, and I thank the Commander General of the Army for his words.
I am pleased to meet you in order to express my gratitude. You provide the community with a service that is at times challenging and always indispensable, as you spend your energies to protect and to provide security and public order, in collaboration with other security forces. Thanks to you, people find the help they need in order to respect the laws that maintain a serene and harmonious atmosphere. Your presence here serves the concrete solidarity of the entire community, especially those who are disadvantaged who can find precious assistance in their moments of difficulty. Many times, this help is unseen; I am referring to the words spoken by your Commander: some hidden actions that no one sees in our daily service ... This is very beautiful, only God sees these acts. God never forgets these things.
Your Caribinieri Company of Rome Saint Peter's collaborates effectively with the competent organizations of the Holy See in order to favour the tranquil development of events which, throughout the year, take place in Saint Peter's Square and surrounding areas. I thank you very much for your work which is at the service of pilgrims and tourists. It is an activity that requires professionalism and a sense of responsibility, as well as attention to each person - many of whom are elderly -, continual patience and availability to all people. These are not easy qualities, but it is important that we continue them with God's help. You should smile often, smiles in moments which are most difficult help to facilitate your service to the public, no?
The Holy Year of Mercy opens before all of us the possibility of being renewed, starting with an interior purification that is reflected in the way we act and also in the exercise of our daily activities. This spiritual dimension of the jubilee events motivate each one of us to ask ourselves some important questions about the real commitment of responding to the exigencies of faithfulness to the gospel, to which the Lord calls us and from which we begin our states in life. In this way, the Jubilee becomes an ideal occasion for personal and community verification and the paradigm by which we verify the works of mercy, either corporal or spiritual. The Lord remembers: All those who have done this for the least of my brothers, has done it for me (Mt 25:40).
This teaching of Jesus can also guide you, who are responsible for the protection of public order, and help you in every circumstance to be promotors of solidarity, especially toward the most in need and those who are defenceless; to be keepers of the right to life, through your commitment to security and for the safety of all people. In fulfilling this mission, you bear witness to the fact that every person is loved by God, is his creature and worthy of welcome and respect. May the grace of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy renew the spirit with which you dedicate yourselves to your profession, making it possible for you to live it with more attention, dedication and generosity.
I express once again to all of you my gratitude for your appreciated service and for your collaboration with the Holy See. I invoke divine assistance upon each of you and upon your daily work, and I confide you to the maternal protection of the Madonna, the faithful Virgin. With all my heart, I give you my blessing, and I extend this blessing also to your families. And I ask you please to pray for me. Thank you.
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