Pope Leo XIV urged members of the Vatican Gendarmerie on Oct. 3 to nurture their faith as they protect others, telling them that their service requires hearts guarded by the Lord.
The pope celebrated Mass at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens in honor of the force's patron, St. Michael the Archangel.
He described the gendarmes' work as "a way of being laborers in the Lord's vineyard," stressing that their responsibilities extend beyond safeguarding buildings, grounds, and entrances to caring for people.
"One quality that stands out when we meet you is precisely this care: It is beautiful to see how you regard others not as problems to be solved but as people to be respected and protected," he said.
Reflecting on the parable of the wicked tenants in Matthew 21:33-43, the pope said the gendarmes should understand that "what we receive is a responsibility to be safeguarded with humility and dedication, to be carried out with discretion and a sense of duty."
"You know well that authority, in the light of the Gospel, is expressed above all in the ability to protect, listen, and accompany, with balance, firmness, and respect," he added.
Just as the vineyard owner's son stands at the center of the parable, Leo urged the gendarmes to place Jesus at the center of their lives.
"Before being gendarmes, you are men called to follow him. From him we learn strength that knows how to become gentleness, vigilance born of trust, authority that walks alongside humility, and the courage to intervene with a merciful heart," he said.
The pope also reflected on the second reading, from St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians, which urges believers to bring their needs to God in prayer rather than give in to anxiety.
The gendarmes' work, he said, would bring "quiet days and difficult days," moments requiring quick decisions, and situations that cause fatigue and worry.
But prayer offers a way to bear those burdens.
"A gendarme does not carry everything alone: He prays, knows how to entrust himself to God, and knows how to find again in God the peace that allows him to act with clarity and a serene heart," Leo said.
Those who protect others need hearts and minds "formed in goodness," he said, because they "must first safeguard within themselves truth, justice, goodness, and respect. Protecting others requires a heart guarded by the Lord."
"Your work certainly requires you to be vigilant, but today's word invites you to something even deeper: to watch carefully over yourselves as well," the pope added.
He urged the gendarmes to guard their hearts against becoming hardened, keeping them "always docile to God and attentive to others."
He also called on them to safeguard their consciences and their bonds of fraternity. A group becomes a community, he said, when "its members care for one another and learn to walk together, supporting one another with simplicity and love."
Leo concluded by thanking the gendarmes' families for the sacrifices that make their service possible.
"This year, too, I conclude with a thought of affection and gratitude for your families. To parents, wives, children, and fiancées: Thank you! You know the sacrifices, the absences, the schedules, the worries, and also the burden of a service that is not always seen," he said.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
