The pontiff said the Holy See\u2019s diplomatic service is a unique ministry rooted in peace, truth, and justice and directed not only to Catholics but also to the entire human family.<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV on Monday outlined the qualities needed in priests who serve as Vatican diplomats, describing their work as a unique ministry that serves not only Catholics but also the entire human family in individual nations and international organizations.<\/p>\n
The pope made the remarks April 27 during a visit to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the Holy See\u2019s school for training diplomats, on the occasion of the 325th anniversary of its founding.<\/p>\n
Leo recalled that a few years earlier, while serving as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, he had visited the academy and reflected on \u201cthe essential mission carried out by the alma mater of the pontifical diplomats.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, almost a year after the start of my Petrine ministry, accompanied by the diligent commitment of the Secretariat of State and the pontifical representations,\u201d he said, \u201cI therefore look with deep gratitude upon the history of dedication and service that this joyful anniversary celebrates.\u201d<\/p>\n
That history, the pope said, rooted in the very Catholicity of the Church, has included an unbroken chain of priests from various parts of the world who have contributed \u201cwith their humble efforts to the building of that unity in Christ which, amid the diversity of origins, makes communion a fundamental characteristic of the diplomatic service of the Holy See.\u201d<\/p>\n
Referring to reforms made to the academy by Pope Francis in March 2025, Leo said the most important reform required of those entering the community is \u201ca constant exercise in conversion, aimed at cultivating \u2018closeness, attentive listening, witness, a fraternal approach, and dialogue \u2026 combined with humility and meekness.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The pope said the gathering was an opportunity to outline some characteristics of the pontifical diplomatic priest, who participates in the ministry of the successor of Peter and serves peace, truth, and justice.<\/p>\n
The Vatican diplomat, he said, \u201cmust be, first of all, a messenger of the paschal proclamation \u2018Peace be with you!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEven when the hopes for dialogue and reconciliation seem to vanish and peace \u2018as the world gives it\u2019 is trampled upon and put to the test,\u201d Leo said, \u201cyou are called to continue to bring the word of the risen Christ to all. \u2018Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Before trying to build peace \u201cwith our own meager strength,\u201d the pope said, the mission of pontifical diplomats calls them to be bridges and channels for it, \u201cso that the grace that comes from heaven may find its way through the vicissitudes of history.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo also said the papal diplomat, working in different cultural settings and international organizations, \u201cis specifically assigned to bear witness to the truth that is Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n
Such a diplomat, he said, must bring Christ\u2019s message to the forum of nations and become \u201ca sign of his love for that portion of humanity entrusted to his mission as a shepherd, even before that of a diplomat.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pope also stressed the importance of clear language in diplomacy, citing his January address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See in which he said it is urgently necessary that \u201cwords once again \u2026 express distinct and clear realities unequivocally,\u201d because \u201conly in this way can authentic dialogue resume without misunderstandings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor this reason, too,\u201d he told the students, \u201cit is important that you bring to the world the Word of Life, who revealed himself not through the affirmation of abstract principles and ideas but by becoming flesh.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo reminded the academy\u2019s students that they are preparing for a ministry \u201cwhich is not limited to safeguarding the good of the Catholic community but extends to the entire human family living in a particular nation or participating in the work of various international organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n
This, he said, requires them \u201cto be promoters of all forms of justice that help to recognize, rebuild, and protect the image of God imprinted in every person.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the defense of human rights \u2014 among which the rights to religious freedom and to life are prominent \u2014 I therefore urge you to continue to show the way, not toward confrontation and demands but toward the protection of human dignity, the development of peoples and communities, and the promotion of international cooperation,\u201d he said. \u201cThese are the only means that allow us to embark on authentic paths of peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pope acknowledged that in a world marked by tensions, where conflict can appear to be the only way to address needs and demands, efforts at dialogue, listening, and reconciliation may seem insufficient, at times even futile.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis must not discourage us!\u201d he said. \u201cLet us continue to invoke with confidence the gift of Christ\u2019s peace, without fear.\u201d<\/p>\n
He assured the superiors and students that their ministry, at any time and in any place, will be \u201can instrument for promoting and safeguarding the dignity of every man and woman, created in the image and likeness of God, and for advancing the common good.\u201d<\/p>\n
This story\u00a0was first published\u00a0by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.<\/p>\n