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This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience a delegation from the Military Ordinariate for Portugal.

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, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen! Peace be with you!

Your Most Reverend Excellency, Distinguished Authorities, Reverend Chaplains, Dear brothers and sisters!

You have come to Rome and, in a sense, the other members of your units are united with you. In welcoming you, I extend my greetings to all members – Christian and non-Christian alike – of the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, the National Republican Guard and the Public Security Police in Portugal. In a special way, in the light of the Risen Christ, I remember the two young soldiers from the Army who, last Friday, lost their lives while like the Good Samaritan, they generously stopped along the way to offer assistance: I entrust them to the Lord, together with their families.

It was with the welfare of the entire corps of the Armed Forces and Security Forces, their members and their respective families in mind that the Vicariate was established sixty years ago; in 1981 it came to be known as the the Military Ordinariate and, twenty-five years ago, received its first bishop. You have therefore chosen to come to Rome specifically to commemorate these anniversaries. May the Ordinariate, by making its invaluable contribution to spiritual well-being and to the understanding of Christian values, continue to be a forum for constructive collaboration with state, governmental and military authorities.

For those who believe in Christ, making a pilgrimage to this city represents a unique opportunity for self-renewal, recognizing the centrality of God in one’s own life and strengthening one’s faith through prayer beside the tomb of the Apostle Saint Peter. Every day, each of you has the noble mission of defending the sovereignty of the Fatherland and the rule of law, ensuring the safety of your fellow citizens and protecting them from injustice. I would therefore like to repeat to you this exhortation from Saint Paul: “Be strong in the Lord. […] Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace” ( Eph 6:10, 14–15).

Be strong in the Lord, like the centurion who approached Jesus in Capernaum. He was well aware of the values by which you guide your lives: obedience, discipline, self-denial, loyalty, camaraderie, dedication, responsibility and courage. At the same time, that soldier felt a need for God; he knew that human beings are not self-sufficient, but aspire to something more, to something that transcends them. Having a servant who was suffering terribly, this led him to approach Jesus, who assured him that He would go and heal him. However, he replied: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldier under me; and I say to one, ‘Go’, and he goes, and to another, ‘Come’, and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this’, and he does it” ( Mt 8:8–9). In this attitude, we can see how the centurion valued hierarchy and how this aspect of his daily life shaped his understanding of his relationship with Jesus of Nazareth, whom he confesses as his Lord and his God. Astonished by these words, Jesus said: “Not even in Israel have I found such faith!” (v. 10). Although, on the one hand, this soldier was aware of his authority, on the other, he demonstrated before the Son of God the strength of faith and the courage of humility. Indeed, human beings, however much responsibility they may bear, however much power they may wield, however blameless they may be, are always hungry for the infinite and thirsty for eternity. Now, the infinite and eternity are within our reach in Jesus Christ: they are a gift from the Lord.

Most Reverend Excellency, dear chaplains, the Church entrusts to you the spiritual growth of the military personnel and police officers of your nation. Welcome them all, listen to them, enlighten them with the wisdom of the Word of God, stand by their side acting in the name of Christ in the celebration of the Sacraments, and accompany each one without forgetting their families. From this specific ministry of yours will come the fruits of personal growth in the practice of the Christian life and the reinvigoration of the esprit de corps of the Military and Security Forces you serve. Thank you for the closeness which, as good shepherds, you offer to all those who perform such an important, special and demanding service for the good of Portugal and beyond. Your witness of love for the Church and for the country is a balm that comforts and gives hope.

And finally, to all of you who have come here, I wish to express my gratitude for the esteem, appreciation and recognition you show for the work carried out in the Ordinariate. May Our Lady of Fátima accompany you in your various missions, both in Portugal and abroad. May the joy of the Lord be your strength. God bless you! Thank you.

[Blessing]

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Holy See, His Excellency Mr. Paul Oga Adikwu, on the occasion of the presentation of his credential letters.

The following is a brief biography of the new Ambassador:

His Excellency Mr. Paul Oga Adikwu Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

His Excellency Mr. Paul Oga Adikwu was born on 19 February 1958, and is married with seven children.

He graduated in theology from Saint Augustine’s Major Seminary in Jos, Nigeria, and holds a postgraduate diploma in education from Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria.

He has held the following roles: tutor at Holy Rosary Secondary School, Adoka, Benue State, Nigeria (1985-1995); principal of Saint Joseph Secondary School in Auke, Benue State, Nigeria (1995-2000); deputy principal in charge of administration, Okalekwo Community Secondary School, Aune – Aloka, Benue State, Nigeria (2006-2010); tutor at Otukpo Community Secondary School in Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria (2010-2013); principal of Otukpo Community Secondary School, Benue State, Nigeria (2013-2018); ambassador to the Holy See.

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- His Eminence Metropolitan Filüksinos Yusuf Çetin, Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Turkey;

- His Excellency Mr. Paul Oga Adikqwu, ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;

- Archbishop Jorge Eduardo Scheinig of Mercedes-Luján, Argentina;

- Archbishop Luc Terlinden of Mechelen-Brussel, Belgium, president of the Episcopal Conference of Belgium; with Bishop Jean-Pierre Delville of Liège; Bishop Patrick Hoogmartens of Hasselt; and Mr. Bruno Spriet, secretary general;

- A delegation from the Military Ordinariate for Portugal;

- Members of the “Federación Marsodeto”, Toledo, Spain.

At midday today, 21 st Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Holy Father Leo XIV appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.

The following are the Pope’s words of introduction to the Angelus prayer:

 

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

This Sunday’s Gospel ( Mt 16:13-20) confronts us with a question that speaks to each of us on our journey of faith: Who is Jesus, truly, for me?

The Gospel passage makes us understand how decisive this question is for the experience of discipleship.  Indeed, although the twelve apostles had already shared so much of the life and ministry of their teacher, Jesus did not take for granted that they truly knew him or had understood the mystery of the Kingdom of God.  Thus, after asking them what people were saying about him, he addressed them directly: “But who do you say that I am?” ( Mt 16:15).

Brothers and sisters, this is a fundamental question for the disciples of every age, and for each one of us.  Faith is not something given to us once and for all.  Rather, we continually need to rediscover the face of Christ and his Gospel, to enter more deeply into his message and to renew the choices we make in our lives, so that they may be consistent with what we profess.  In this way, we can overcome the temptation to think that we already know everything and to reduce faith to mere habit.

The question that is put to us each day — who is Jesus for me, and what does his presence mean in my life? — emerges especially in prayer and when we meditate on the Gospel.  Yet it also arises when we encounter the wounds and needs of our brothers and sisters, and in those relationships and situations that most deeply challenge our conscience.  In our daily lives, in short, we can discover whether the Lord Jesus is for us merely a great figure of history, who said and did important things, or the Christ of God, the One sent to bring us into the love of the Father and to transform our lives and the world in which we live.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us seek not to retreat into our own convictions and religious certainties, but to remain open to an authentic relationship with Christ.  At times, when it comes to the Christian faith, we may be content with what we have merely “heard,” with common assumptions or with what has been handed down to us, perhaps even with the best of intentions.  Yet Jesus calls us to give a personal response, to know him more closely and to allow ourselves to be shaped by friendship with him through an ever new encounter.  This may also ask us to follow unfamiliar paths and to make choices different from those we had imagined.

This is true both for our personal journey and for the journey of the Church, as well as for our pastoral choices, when we may sometimes think that it is enough simply to continue doing things as we have always done them.  Instead, it is important to ask ourselves often: Who is the Lord for me?  Do I truly know him?  What is his Gospel asking of me today?  What steps and what choices am I called to make?

Let us invoke the Blessed Virgin Mary, who sought the will of God in her heart through her Son, that she may always guide us along the path of faith.

____________________________________

After the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters ,

In my prayers, I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in light of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which is sadly claiming many lives. I encourage on the part of the international community a response that also involves local communities in efforts of prevention, so that many human lives may be saved.

I am also close to the people of the Central African Republic, who are mourning the victims of the collapse at a mine in Zamboyé. May the Lord receive those who have lost their lives and sustain efforts to ensure safety and respect for the law at mining sites.

Tomorrow marks the tenth anniversary of the earthquake that struck central Italy, affecting Lazio, Umbria and the Marche. I pray for the deceased and for their families, as well as for all the communities involved. May faith and solidarity continue to sustain the work of reconstruction.

I greet all of you with affection, Romans and pilgrims from various countries.

In particular, I extend a warm welcome to the Primatial Choir of Gniezno Cathedral in Poland; to the seminarians and faculty of the Pontifical North American College; and to the young people from Bormio and Valfurva.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday!

This morning, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in Audience the President of the Republic of Lebanon, His Excellency Mr Joseph Aoun, at the Vatican Apostolic Palace. The President subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, accompanied by His Eminence Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

The cordial discussions at the Secretariat of State focused essentially on the Trilateral Framework Agreement, signed by the United States, Israel and Lebanon aimed at stabilizing the southern borders of the Republic of Lebanon and at achieving a just and lasting peace. While expressing satisfaction at the signing of the Document, the Holy See voiced serious concerns about the difficulties that are being encountered in implementing it, and assured the President of its support for efforts in this regard.

From the Vatican, 20 August 2026