This morning, Pope Leo XIV met with 98 representatives of the Holy See diplomatic corps in the Clementine Hall. They are a model, "certainly not perfect", of the Church's message in favour of "human fraternity and peace among all peoples, [. . .] serving the dignity of the human person”.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Leo XIV met in audience this morning with 98 apostolic nuncios in the Clementine Hall in the Vatican.

In his address to the papal representatives to states and international organisations, he said that their ministry was "irreplaceable", carrying the “image of the Catholic Church” to the world, "in communion with the local bishops,” often among peoples "victims of war, violence, and injustice”.

The Holy Father praised the Holy See’s diplomatic corps, describing it as the most “universal” and “united” in the world, because it is not based on a “functional” communion, since “we are united in Christ and we are united in the Church”.

In the year of the Jubilee, the pontiff expressed “gratitude towards those who are helping me to carry out my service day by day,” in his first weeks of Petrine ministry.

With their work, the apostolic nuncios are a model, “certainly not perfect”, of the message that the Holy See proposes, “that of human fraternity and peace among all peoples”.

For the pontiff, the papal representatives’ work in the world “goes before” the service to him.

“The network of Pontifical Representations is always active and operative,” he said, citing Paul VI. “[T]hrough his Representatives, [. . .], the Pope is able to participate in the very life of his sons and, [. . .] their needs and at the same time their aspirations”.

Leo offered his audience a biblical image: Peter's healing of the cripple, narrated at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles (3:1-10).

Speaking “at the dawn of the Christian experience”, near the door of the temple, Peter asked the cripple to look towards him and John, then said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk’.

“To look into one’s eyes means to build a relationship,” said the pontiff; “relationships, bridges: and a Representative of the Pope, first and foremost, serves this invitation to look into the eyes.”

“Be men capable of building relationships where it is hardest to do. But in doing so, preserve the same humility and the same realism of Peter, who is well aware that he does not have the solution to everything,” Leo said.

Bringing Christ to the people means, first of all, giving “love”. “I am counting on you so that in the countries where you live, everyone may know that the Church is always ready for everything out of love, that she is always on the side of the last, the poor, and that she will always defend the sacrosanct right to believe in God, to believe that this life is not at the mercy of the powers of this world, but rather is traversed by a mysterious meaning.”

Only love is “worthy of faith,” especially where there is the “pain of the innocents”, the “crucified of today”, as well as the “false wellbeing that deludes and disappoints.”

Leo gave those present a ring with the engraving “Sub umbra Petri” as a gift. “Always feel you are bound to Peter, protected by Peter, sent by Peter”, he explained.

Finally, he invited the nuncios to always have “a blessing gaze”, able to always “see the good, even that which is hidden, which is in the minority.”

“Feel that you are missionaries, sent by the Pope to be tools of communion, unity, serving the dignity of the human person, promoting sincere and constructive relations everywhere with the authorities with whom you are required to cooperate.”

The presence of the Catholic Church in the world is “enlightened” by two illustrious examples of holiness, two men who preceded the 267th century Pontiff, namely Saint John XXIII and Saint Paul VI, both members of the diplomatic corps of Holy See.

“Dear friends, your presence here today strengthens the awareness that the role of Peter is to confirm in faith,” Leo said.

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