Pope Francis presided over the Jubilee Mass for Armed Forces, Police and Security Personnel on Sunday, with Archbishop Diego Ravelli reading his prepared homily as the pontiff recovers from bronchitis.
Over the Feb. 8-9 weekend, approximately 30,000 men and women from more than 100 countries participated in various jubilee festivities in Rome, including a pilgrimage to the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica.
During the outdoor Mass in St. Peter’s Square, Archbishop Ravelli, reading the pope’s prepared homily, thanked those who have dedicated their lives to a “lofty mission that embraces numerous aspects of social and political life.”
“You are present in penitentiaries and at the forefront of the fight against crime and the various forms of violence that threaten to disrupt the life of society,” Ravelli read from the pope’s text.
The prepared homily continued: “I think too of all those engaged in relief work in the wake of natural disasters, the safeguarding of the environment, rescue efforts at sea, the protection of the vulnerable and the promotion of peace.”
Praising their vigilance amid “the opposing forces of evil,” the homily noted that security personnel who protect the defenseless and uphold law and order in cities and neighborhoods can “teach us that goodness can prevail over everything.”
The papal text also acknowledged the chaplains who provide moral and spiritual support to military and security personnel, describing them as “the presence of Christ, who desires to walk at your side, to offer you a listening and sympathetic ear, to encourage you to set out ever anew and to support you in your daily service.”
The homily concluded with a call for those gathered to have the courage to be peacemakers who never lose sight of their purpose to save and protect lives, warning: “Be vigilant not to be taken in by the illusion of power and the roar of arms… Be vigilant lest you be poisoned by propaganda that instils hatred, divides the world into friends to be defended and foes to fight.”
Speaking in his own voice during the Angelus prayer that followed the Mass, Pope Francis invoked the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, for those who are the “servants of the security and freedom of their peoples.”
“This armed service should be exercised only in legitimate defense, never to impose domination over other nations, always observing the international conventions,” the pope said, referencing Gaudium et Spes.
“Brothers and sisters, let us pray for peace in the tormented Ukraine, in Palestine, in Israel and throughout the Middle East, in Myanmar, in Kivu, in Sudan,” he urged.
“May the weapons be silent everywhere and the cry of the peoples, who ask for peace, be heard!”
