Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass today at Holy Mass at the Chapel of the Carabinieri Station in Castel Gandolfo on Tuesday, July 15. The text of his homily is below.
Homily by Pope Leo XIV at Castel Gandolfo
Dear brothers and sisters,
The Gospel we have heard gives us the authentic Christian meaning of these two words. Brother and sister are names of relationship, which we often repeat in the liturgy as a greeting, as signs of closeness and affection. Jesus, the only Son of God, explains their meaning in relation to himself and his Father, revealing a bond stronger than blood because it involves us all, uniting every man and woman. In fact, we are all truly brothers and sisters of Jesus when we do God’s will, that is, when we live loving one another as God has loved us.
Every relationship that God lives, in himself and for us, thus becomes a gift: when his only Son becomes our brother, his Father becomes our Father, and the Holy Spirit, who unites the Father and the Son, comes to dwell in our hearts. God’s love is so great that Jesus does not even keep his mother for himself, giving Mary to us as our mother at the hour of the cross (cf. Jn 19:27). Only those who live with such complete dedication can say: “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother” (Mt 12:50). In particular, these words make us understand that Mary becomes the mother of Jesus because she listens to the word of God with love, welcomes it into her heart, and lives it faithfully. Commenting on the Gospel passage just mentioned, St. Augustine therefore wrote that “it is more valuable for Mary to have been a disciple of Christ than the mother of Christ.” In fact, “Mary was blessed because she listened to the word of God and put it into practice” (Sermo 72/A, 7). The meaning of Mary’s life is preserved in her fidelity to the Word she received from God: the Word of life that she accepted, carried in her womb, and gave to the world.
Dear friends, we recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the faithful Virgin, the Virgo fidelis, as Patroness of the Carabinieri. It was in Castel Gandolfo in 1949 that my venerable predecessor, Pope Pius XII, accepted this beautiful proposal from the General Command of the Carabinieri. After the tragedy of the war, in a period of moral and material reconstruction, Mary’s fidelity to God thus became a model of the fidelity of every Carabiniere to the homeland and the Italian people. This virtue expresses the dedication, purity, and constancy of commitment to the common good, which the Carabinieri protect by ensuring public safety and defending the rights of all, especially those who find themselves in dangerous situations.
I therefore express my deep gratitude for the noble and demanding service that the Carabinieri render to Italy and its citizens, as well as to the Holy See and the faithful who visit Rome: I am thinking especially of the many pilgrims in this jubilee year.
Devotion to the faithful Virgin also reflects the motto of the Carabinieri, Faithful through the centuries, expressing the sense of duty and self-sacrifice of every member of the Force, even to the point of self-sacrifice. I therefore thank the civil and military authorities present for what you do in the fulfillment of your duties: in the face of injustices that harm the social order, do not give in to the temptation to think that evil can prevail. Especially in this time of war and violence, remain faithful to your oath: as servants of the State, respond to crime with the force of law and honesty. This is how the Carabinieri, the Benemerita, will always deserve the esteem of the Italian people.
In this Eucharist, as we celebrate the passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord, it is right and proper to remember the Carabinieri who gave their lives in the line of duty: I entrust to you as an example the venerable Salvo D’Acquisto, gold medal for military valor, whose cause for beatification is currently underway. In every mission, may the Virgo fidelis accompany you, lovingly watching over each of you, your families, and your work.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
On the friar, you can listen to our homilies (based on the readings of the day) and reflections. You can also ask us to pray for you or to pray for others. You can subscribe to our website to be informed whenever we publish an update. You can subscribe to our podcasts on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.