At the Grotto of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass for the Patron Saint of the Gendarmerie Corps
A service for the good of the Church
A service carried out above all “behind the scenes,” and a task that “builds security, order, respect,” considering that “it is not just a profession: it is a service for the good of the Church.” Thus spoke Pope Leo XIV, addressing the members of the Vatican City State Gendarmerie Corps during the Eucharistic Concelebration, presided at the Grotto of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens on Sunday afternoon, October 5, on the feast of their Patron, Saint Michael the Archangel.
The Pope emphasized the importance of a service that “protects not only places and people, but reflects a mission, the mission of the Church.” Hence the invitation to live out this same mission, which “is the proclamation of the Gospel, with your uniform and, above all, with your humanity.”
The Pontiff recalled the words of Saint Paul the Apostle to Timothy: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and prudence.” These are not only the virtues of all Christians, but also of the Gendarmes. Referring to the oath that had been pronounced by 27 new gendarmes shortly before the Mass, the Pope entrusted to these young men a program: “You have strength from the law, but not to dominate; you have charity toward the lowly, but not to curry favor with authority; prudence in action, but not out of fear of the responsibilities entrusted to you.”
A promise that “was not a simple formula to be repeated, but an act of freedom and dedication.” Before God and the Church they promised fidelity to the Pope and “to a service that engages your very lives, in the daily commitment of your work. Thank you for the courage and the willingness you have shown in faithfully serving the Holy See.”
Together with Pope Leo concelebrated Cardinals Fernando Vérgez Alzaga and Giuseppe Bertello, Presidents emeriti of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, and Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Secretary General of the Governorate.
Previously—before Gianluca Gauzzi Broccoletti, Director of Security Services and Civil Protection, and Davide Giulietti, Deputy Director—27 new gendarmes swore fidelity to the Pope and to the service of the Vatican State and the Holy See, in the presence of Sr. Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate, Archbishop Emilio Nappa, and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, Secretaries General.
The Band of the Gendarmerie Corps—directed by Maestro Stefano Iannilli, led by Deputy Commissioner of the Gendarmerie Mauro Colaiacomo, responsible for discipline and deployment—provided the musical accompaniment to the ceremony.
