Police celebrate their Patron Saint, Saint Michael Archangel, in the Church of Maria, Madre della Famiglia at the Vatican

A service dedicated to the common good and to peace

Seventy five years ago, on 29 September 1949, Pius XII proclaimed Saint Michael Archangel, Protector of the People of God and victor of the fight between good and evil, the Patron Saint and protector of the Police. On the occasion of the liturgical feast of the Archangel, who is also the Patron Saint of the Gendarmerie Corps, on Sunday morning, 29 September, Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, celebrated Holy Mass in the Vatican’s Church of Maria, Madre della Famiglia (Mary, Mother of the Family). Fr Luigi Trapelli, national coordinator of chaplains of the State Police and five chaplains concelebrated with him.

The Mass was attended by Sr. Raffaella Petrini, Secretary General of Vatican City State, Matteo Piantedosi, Minister of the Interior of the Italian Republic, Vittorio Pisani, Chief of State Police, and Luca Cintia, First Director of the Gendarmerie Corps, representing Mr. Gianluca Gauzzi-Broccoletti, Commander of the Gendarmerie and Davide Giulietti, Deputy Commander, who could not attend as they were accompanying the Pope on his Apostolic Journey to Luxembourg and Belgium.

The celebration was animated by instrumental music performed by the Musical Band of the State Police and by the tenor, Antonio Costa, a police officer stationed in Catania. An icon depicting Saint Michael Archangel and the Pontifical Bull of Pius XII, with which the Archangel was proclaimed Patron Saint of the Police forces, were placed on the altar. Two police officers and two members of the Gendarmerie Corps read the Word of God and the prayers of Saint Michael and of the gendarme.

The commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Saint Michael’s proclamation as Patron Saint, was shared by the Italian State Police and the Gendarmerie, as a sign of friendship between the two institutions. When Pius XII proclaimed him Patron Saint of the Police Forces, he wished to highlight the importance of their daily mission:

“It is therefore no surprise that members of the State Police, considering the serious and demanding task entrusted to the various police departments for the common good and in the interest of citizens, concerned about their physical and moral integrity, have turned to invoking Archangel Michael as their Patron” (cf. Pius XII’s Bull, Providentissimi Dei est).

At the conclusion of Mass, the Minister of the Interior and the Chief of Police offered a gift to Cardinal Vérgez Alzaga, in memory of the anniversary.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I greet the Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Italy, Mr. Matteo Piantedosi,

Prefect Vittorio Pisani, Chief of State Police,

All the Authorities gathered here and all the officials and officers of the Italian Police Force.

I also greet Sr. Raffaella Petrini, Secretary General of the Governorate,

Mr. Gianluca Gauzzi-Broccoletti and Mr. Davide Giulietti, respectively, Commander and Deputy Commander of the Pontifical Gendarmerie Corps, who could not be here as they are travelling with Pope Francis in Belgium and Luxembourg. In their absence, they are represented by Mr. Luca Cintia, First Director of the Pontifical Gendarmerie Corps.

The Feast of Saint Michael Archangel is an opportunity to highlight the work that you, police officers and agents of peace, provide. Like Saint Michael, you are always ready to fight to protect us and to ensure the wellbeing of our society. We do not always take the opportunity to thank those who are dedicated to providing such an important service as that of the police force. We are doing it today in memory of Saint Michael, your Patron Saint.

Dear men and women of the police force, I thank you for the dedication, at times hidden, with which you carry out your tasks each day, and for the loyalty that often involves a risk to your own lives. The delicate service you provide must be accompanied from on high, which is why you have chosen Saint Michael as your Patron Saint.

But now, I would like to invite you to reflect on the Word of God we have just heard. In the first Reading from the Book of Numbers, there is a reference to two characters: Eldad and Medad. They are mentioned because they did not leave the camp to go to the tent of meeting to receive some of the spirit that was upon Moses, from God. We do not know the reason they did not join the others, but this allowed us to know the names of the two men, while we have no details of the seventy elders.

Nevertheless, Eldad and Medad prophesied, and this made Joshua jealous. Joshua was the “servant of Moses since his youth”. He could not stand that the prophecy should be beyond the control of his master. Mark the Evangelist tells the account of when the Apostle John also tells Jesus that he wanted to prevent someone from carrying out an exorcism because he was not one of the faithful disciples. Both Moses and Jesus in his reply to John, agree in saying that no one has the exclusive over God. No one can hem him in or bind him in his salvation action. The Spirit of God blows where it wants and cannot be told how to act.

In his reply to Joshua, Moses expresses his hope that all the People of God may be prophets. Jesus tells John that being his disciple is not a privilege but a call to commitment and service. The Master himself makes it clear that he did not come to be served but to serve, not to condemn but to save. Everyone is invited to follow him through the most diverse and unpredictable paths. No one is excluded. You too, always choose to follow Christ. Be men and women of peace to win against the temptation of violence and to put yourself at the service of the great values of life, justice, forgiveness and freedom.

This Feast gives us an opportunity to reflect on the need for intercessors in the Christian life, so that each of us may grow in the faith and proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God. In a way, to intercede is the vocation of all believers. Interceding means exercising an angelic function.

Yours is a difficult service, dedicated to the common good and to peace, a service that demands a surplus of spirit, honesty and willingness.

There are many daily scenarios in which your dedication and heroism cooperate to provide citizens with security against all outbreaks of violence, honesty before various forms of corruption, and protection in emergency situations that may disturb the peace,

The security forces, and today we are focusing especially on the State Police, become a human extension of divine messengers, the angels. A society matures not when it is able to overcome every danger that threatens it, in an ideal way, but rather when it has the resources to prevent and protect the whole community.

The Archangels protect us on behalf of God, while the police force does so also on behalf of the best of our society. There is a bond that unites one to the other, and this is why with this Feast, we honour those who help us invisibly like the angels, and we offer our heartfelt gratitude to those who are visibly by our side, to protect us.

Security is a precious asset that is obtained with constant team work, which demands professionalism and spiritual preparation.

In his discourse to the management and staff of the Vatican Inspectorate of Public security on Saturday, 10 February, Pope Francis highlighted that: “The common good and peace in society cannot be improvised and do not always flourish spontaneously. The lights and shadows of our human nature, limited and wounded by sin, entail the need for there to be those who, when faced with evil, do not stand by and watch, but take the responsibility to intervene, to protect the victims and bring the transgressors back to order, always having the good of all at heart”.

Your daily work involves cooperation with the Pontifical Gendarmerie Corps, and I thank you for this precious collaboration. I hope that the exchange of experiences and information may continue and increase in light of the approaching Jubilee, during which a greater effort will be asked of all of you.

I ask you please to turn to prayer and to the sacraments to obtain the strength to face the problems and difficulties you will encounter along your path.

I offer this Holy Mass for the police officers killed in service, for their families and for all the State Police. May the Lord bless you, Our Lady accompany you and Saint Michael Archangel protect you each day.