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This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the members of the Military Ordinariate for Italy, on the occasion of the centenary of its founding (1926-2026), on the theme: “ Inter Arma, Caritas”. The spiritual assistance of the Military Ordinariate, from memory to prophecy.

The following is the address delivered by the Pope to those present during the meeting:

 

Address of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Dear brothers in the episcopate, Dear Ministers, Distinguished Military Authorities, Reverend Chaplains and Officials of the Military Ordinariate; Dear brothers and sisters,

I warmly welcome you all! In particular, in greeting the Military Ordinaries from other countries apart from Italy, I encourage you to continue and deepen your dialogue and collaboration with the various Ordinariates throughout the world.

Inter Arma Caritas: “To bring Christ into the veins of humanity, renewing and sharing the apostolic mission, to look to tomorrow with serenity, making courageous choices” (cf. Address to the Italian Episcopal Conference , 17 June 2025). These are the words that are guiding the path of the Centenary of the Military Ordinariate for Italy, an event that preserves memory, relevance and prophecy.

We live in a society that risks losing its sense of memory. Our age has an extraordinary capacity to transmit information, but an increasingly weak capacity to internalize it. Memory is often “externalized” and available, but not always internalized and activated. For the Church, however, it is a living conscience: not an accumulation of data, but a constant call to responsibility; not nostalgia, but a root that generates prophecy. For Christians, memory has a unique character: it is a celebration of God entering history, because the Christian faith is based on a historical fact and salvation is not an idea, but the living person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Centenary of the Military Ordinariate for Italy also fits into this logic, as the embodied memory of a concrete history, made up of men and women in uniform who, journeying in the Church, supported and accompanied by their pastors, in the bright days of peace and the dramatic days of war, with sacrifice, courage and dedication, contributed to the growth of this society, sometimes at the cost of their lives.

In this context, the teaching of Pope Saint Paul VI, when he stated that history is not a reality to be endured, but a place of grace in which to build a civilization of love , resonates today. The Centenary you are celebrating is intended to echo this very message, in the light of the Lord’s commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you” ( Jn 15:12). Your service is an act of love – towards the country, towards the territories, and above all towards the people – which translates into tangible closeness, especially in places and circumstances where there are the greatest fragilities.

In you, dear Military Chaplains, may Saint Augustine's exhortation to live your ministry as amoris officium , a service of love, therefore echo. Commenting on the dialogue between the Risen Jesus and Peter, Augustine writes: “If you love me, think not of feeding yourself, but feed my sheep as mine, and not as your own; seek my glory in them, and not your own; my dominion, and not yours. … In feeding His sheep, let us be seeking the things which are His, not the things which are our own” ( In Joannis Evangelium , 123, 5). Many Military Chaplains have embodied these words and have made pastoral charity visible to the point of heroic virtue, sometimes even martyrdom.

The action of the Military Chaplain is often carried out in silence, in places of peace and in those of conflict, in military bases and in operational contexts, in chapels and in field tents. It is there that the care of the Lord’s flock is manifested through the witness of life, the proclamation of the Gospel, the celebration of the Eucharist and in the Sacraments, patient listening and spiritual accompaniment. In this sense, educational contexts, academies, schools, training institutes, and places where consciences are shaped take on particular importance. In a society marked by human mobility and cultural plurality, the chaplain also serves dialogue between peoples, cultures, and religions, bearing witness to a Church that is an instrument of unity. His spiritual action thus contributes to the promotion of the common good and social peace, the fruit – as Pope Francis recalled – of patient craftsmanship, which requires formation, justice and charity (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium , 217-221).

The Second Vatican Council, in the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes , affirms that: “Insofar as men are sinful, the threat of war hangs over them, and hang over them it will until the return of Christ. But insofar as men vanquish sin by a union of love, they will vanquish violence as well” (no. 78). This is the context in which the mission of the Christian soldier is situated. Defending the weak, protecting peaceful coexistence, intervening in disasters, operating in international missions to preserve peace and restore order. All this cannot be reduced to a mere profession: it is a vocation, a response to a call that challenges the conscience. The soldier’s identity is forged by generosity, a spirit of service, high aspirations and deep feelings. But these values require a foundation, a gift of Grace capable of fostering charity to the point of total self-sacrifice. It is therefore necessary to inspire the codes, norms and missions of military life with the lifeblood of the Gospel so that, in the service of security and peace, the common good of peoples is always the first priority.

Forty years ago, with the Apostolic Constitution Spirituali militum curae , Saint John Paul II established Military Ordinariates as particular Churches, endowed with their own theological and organizational identity. Addressing the participants in the first Synod of Military Ordinariates (6 May 1999), he emphasized the specificity of this Church, which accompanies military personnel, their families and all those connected with the service of the Armed Forces and the Police. And, during the Jubilee of 2000, the same Holy Father said to the military: “You are called to defend the weak, to protect the honest, to foster the peaceful coexistence of peoples. The role of the sentinel, who scans the horizon to avert danger and promote justice and peace everywhere, befits each of you” ( Homily at the Mass for the Jubilee of the Armed Forces and the Police , 19 November 2000, 2).

The Church, in the wake of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and the Apostolic Exhortations Evangelii nuntiandi and Evangelii gaudium , proclaims the Gospel of peace, ready to collaborate with everyone to safeguard this universal good (cf. Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium , 239). In it, the Military Ordinariate for Italy, through spiritual care, seeks to be an effective laboratory of God’s action in favour of humanity, a space of formation for the transition from amor sui to amor Dei , the foundation of that Civitas Dei in which the fundamental law is charity (cf. Saint Augustine, De civitate Dei , 14, 28), and where peace is not only the absence of conflict, but the fullness of justice, truth and love. From this perspective, I encourage you to continue to implement the projects you have in mind: the Pastoral Centre, the formation activities for chaplains and chaplain trainees and, in particular, the Centre for Advanced Studies in Spiritual Assistance, aimed at promoting interdisciplinary reflection on the challenges of today’s world, on the inculturation of the faith, and on the relationship between the Gospel, culture, science and new technologies.

Dear friends, thank you for what you do! I invoke upon all of you, your families and your service, the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace, and of your patron Saints, and I bless you from my heart. Thank you.

NOTIFICATION

HOLY WEEK 2026 - CELEBRATIONS PRESIDED OVER BY THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV

29 March 2026 PALM SUNDAY: PASSION OF THE LORD

COMMEMORATION OF THE ENTRANCE OF THE LORD INTO JERUSALEM AND HOLY MASS

PAPAL CHAPEL Saint Peter’s Square, 10.00

The Holy Father Leo XIV will preside over the Commemoration of the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem and Holy Mass.

* * *

The Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops who wish to concelebrate are requested to be present by 9.15 in the Chapel of Saint Sebastian, bringing with them: the Patriarchs and Cardinals, their white damask mitre; the Archbishops and Bishops, their simple white mitre.

The Priests who wish to concelebrate, and the Deacons, must request the relevant ticket from this Office via the procedure indicated at https://biglietti.liturgiepontificie.va , and are requested to be present by 9.00 directly in the sector reserved to them on the parvis of Saint Peter’s Basilica, where they will put on the amice, alb, cincture and red stole that they will have brought with them.

* * *

In accordance with the Motu Proprio “Pontificalis Domus”, the members of the Pontifical Chapel who wish to participate in the liturgical celebration without concelebrating must bring the Notification , to be requested at [email protected] by 25 March. They are all required to wear their own choral habit and to be present by 9.30 at the Braccio di Costantino.

 

2 April 2026 HOLY THURSDAY

CHRISM MASS

Saint Peter’s Basilica, 9.30

The Holy Father Leo XIV will preside over the Chrism Mass concelebrated with the Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and Priests (diocesan and religious) present in Rome.

The Eucharistic Celebration will be preceded by the Terce prayer, beginning at 9.00.

* * *

The Patriarchs, Cardinals,by 9.00, and the Archbishops and Bishops by 8.30, must be present in the Chapel of Saint Sebastian, in order to put on their liturgical vestments, bringing with them: the Patriarchs and Cardinals, their white damask mitre; the Archbishops and Bishops, their simple white mitre.

The Priests who wish to concelebrate, and the Deacons, must request the relevant ticket from this Office via the procedure indicated at https://biglietti.liturgiepontificie.va , and are requested to be present by 8.30 at the Braccio di Costantino, bringing with them their amice, alb, cincture and white stole.

* * *

As is customary, the blessed oils can be collected from the Sacristy of the Lateran Basilica.

 

HOLY THURSDAY

“THE LORD’S SUPPER”

VESPERTINE MASS PAPAL CHAPEL

Basilica of Saint John Lateran, 17.30

The Holy Father will preside over the Vespertine Mass of the “Lord’s Supper”.

* * *

The Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops who wish to concelebrate are requested to be present by 17.00 in the Lateran Palace, bringing with them: the Patriarchs and Cardinals, their white damask mitre; the Archbishops and Bishops, their simple white mitre.

The Priests of the Roman Curia and of the diocese of Rome who wish to concelebrate must bring with them the relevant ticket, to be requested at the Office for Liturgical Formation and the Celebration of the Sacraments of the Vicariate of Rome, at: [email protected] , subject to availability of places, and are requested to be present by 16.30 in the Sacristy of the Basilica, where they will put on their amice, alb, cincture and the white stole that they will have brought with them.

* * *

In accordance with the Motu Proprio “Pontificalis Domus”, the members of the Pontifical Chapel who wish to participate in the liturgical celebration without concelebrating must bring the Notification , to be requested at [email protected] by 28 March. They are all required to wear their own choral habit and to be present by 17.00 at the altar, in order to take the seat that will be indicated to them by the Pontifical Masters of Ceremonies.

 

3 April 2026 GOOD FRIDAY “PASSION OF THE LORD”

CELEBRATION OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD PAPAL CHAPEL

Saint Peter’s Basilica, 17.00

The Holy Father Leo XIV will preside over the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord.

* * *

The Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops will wear their own choral habit, without the ring; those who so wish may go to the Chapel of the Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament for a brief period of adoration; then, by 16.30, they will take their assigned places at the Altar of the Confessio.

* * *

The Prelates, Chaplains of His Holiness and all the others who, in accordance with the Motu Proprio “Pontificalis Domus” make up the Pontifical Chapel, bringing the Notification to be requested at [email protected] by 28 March, and wearing their own choral habit, are invited to be present by 16.30 at the Altar of the Confessio in order to take their seat, to be indicated to them by the Pontifical Masters of Ceremonies.

 

VIA CRUCIS – WAY OF THE CROSS

Colosseum, 21.00

The Holy Father Leo XIV will preside over the pious exercise of the “Via Crucis”, at the end of which he will impart the Apostolic Blessing.

 

4-5 April 2026 EASTER SUNDAY “RESURRECTION OF THE LORD”

EASTER VIGIL OF THE HOLY NIGHT PAPAL CHAPEL

Saint Peter’s Basilica, 21.00

The Holy Father Leo XIV will preside over the Easter Vigil of the Holy Night.

The Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops who wish to concelebrate are requested to be present by 20.30 in the Chapel of Saint Sebastian, bringing with them: the Patriarchs and Cardinals, their white damask mitre; the Archbishops and Bishops, their simple white mitre.

* * *

The Priests who wish to concelebrate, and the Deacons, bringing the relevant ticket to be requested from this Office via the procedure indicated at https://biglietti.liturgiepontificie.va , subject to availability of places, and are requested to be present by 20.00 at the Braccio di Costantino, bringing with them their amice, alb, cincture and white stole.

* * *

In accordance with the Motu Proprio “Pontificalis Domus”, the members of the Pontifical Chapel who wish to participate in the liturgical celebration without concelebrating, must bring the Notification , to be requested at [email protected] by 28 March. They are all required to wear their own choral habit and to be present at the Altar of the Confessio by 20.30, in order to take the seat that will be indicated to them by the Pontifical Masters of Ceremonies.

 

MASS OF THE DAY PAPAL CHAPEL

Saint Peter’s Square, 10.15

The Holy Father Leo XIV will preside over the Mass of the day.

* * *

The Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops who wish to concelebrate are requested to be present by 9.45 in the Chapel of Saint Sebastian, bringing with them: the Patriarchs and Cardinals, their white damask mitre; the Archbishops and Bishops, their simple white mitre.

The Priests who wish to concelebrate, and the Deacons, bringing the relevant ticket to be requested from this Office via the procedure indicated at https://biglietti.liturgiepontificie.va , are requested to be present by 9.15 at the Braccio di Costantino, bringing with them their amice, alb, cincture and white stole.

* * *

In accordance with the Motu Proprio “Pontificalis Domus”, the members of the Pontifical Chapel who wish to participate in the liturgical celebration without concelebrating, must bring the Notification , to be requested at [email protected] by 28 March. They are all required to wear their own choral habit and to be present on the parvis of Saint Peter’s Basilica by 9.45, in order to take the seat that will be indicated to them by the Pontifical Masters of Ceremonies.

 

“URBI ET ORBI” BLESSING

Central Loggia of Saint Peter’s Basilica, 12.00

The Holy Father Leo XIV will address his Easter message to the world and impart the “Urbi et Orbi” Blessing.

 

Vatican City, 7 March 2026

By mandate of the Holy Father

✠ Diego Ravelli Titular Archbishop of Recanati Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations

Resignation and appointment of apostolic nuncio in the United States of America

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the office of apostolic nuncio in the United States of America presented by His Eminence Cardinal Christophe Pierre, upon reaching the age limit.

The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, titular of Sepino, until now Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations in New York, as apostolic nuncio in the United States of America.

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Archbishop Filippo Iannone, O. Carm., Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops;

- Her Excellency Ms. Inga Ruginienė, Prime Minister of Lithuania, and entourage;

- Bishop Stefano Russo of Velletri-Segni, and of Frascati, Italy;

- Professor Bernard Ars, President of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations;

- Bishop Michele Di Tolve, titular of Orrea, auxiliary of Rome;

- Participants in events promoted by the Military Ordinariate for Italy;

- His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syriacs, Lebanon.

This morning, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received in Audience, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, Her Excellency Ms. Inga Ruginienė, who subsequently met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

During the cordial talks at the Secretariat of State, satisfaction was expressed for the good relations existing between the Holy See and Lithuania.  Also noted was the positive contribution of the Catholic Church in promoting human dignity and the common good of society.

Discussions then turned to a number of international issues, with particular reference to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, expressing the hope that efforts will be made at every level to seek diplomatic solutions to bring an end to war.

From the Vatican, 7 March 2026