Pope Leo XIV says "guard your hearts, so that they do not harden but are always docile to God and attentive to others; to guard your conscience, so that it continues to guide you" in Homily at Mass for Guards

Pope Leo XIV celebrated a Sunday vigil Mass, on October 3, in the afternoon, at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens for the Security Corps that operates within the Vatican State. In his homily, the Pope called for trustworthiness, discretion, and loyalty, and emphasized that "authority, in the light of the Gospel, is expressed first and foremost in the ability to protect, listen, and accompany, with balance, firmness, and respect."FULL HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 3, 2026
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Dear brothers and sisters ,

I am very happy to celebrate the Eucharist for you and with you, on the feast of your patron, Saint Michael the Archangel. Fifteen of you recently took your oath. This is the moment of prayer. In particular, let us now pause briefly to reflect on the Word of God we have heard: it helps us understand what it means to serve, guard, and protect.

The prophet Isaiah (5:1-7) spoke to us of the beloved and carefully tended vineyard. It is a symbol of God's love for his people. God has done everything for his vineyard and expects good fruit from it. And the Lord calls all his children to work in his vineyard, so that we are both vineyard and workers. For you, Gendarmes, this service is a way of being workers in the Lord's vineyard. Places, entrances, buildings, but above all, people, are entrusted to your care. One trait that stands out in our encounter is precisely this care: it is beautiful to see how you look at others not as problems to be solved, but as people to be respected and cared for.

In the Gospel ( Matthew 21:33-43), Jesus' parable showed us a negative example: the winegrowers who, over time, forgot that the vineyard does not belong to them, but was entrusted to them to care for. This is a valuable reminder for those who live in service: what we receive is a responsibility to be safeguarded with humility and dedication, to be lived with discretion and a sense of duty. You know well that authority, in the light of the Gospel, is expressed first and foremost in the ability to protect, listen, and accompany, with balance, firmness, and respect.

And then Jesus tells us that the owner of the vineyard sends his son. At the center of the parable is this son, who represents Christ. And at the center of your life and your service must be He: Jesus Christ. Even before being policemen, you are men called to follow Him. From Him we learn the strength that can become meekness, the vigilance born of trust, the authority that goes hand in hand with humility, and the courage to intervene with a merciful heart.

In the second reading, Saint Paul told us: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything present your requests to God" ( Phil 4:6). This too is a very fitting word for your service. There will be calm days and difficult days; moments when it will be necessary to make quick decisions; situations that will bring weariness and worry. The policeman does not carry everything alone: ​​he prays, he knows how to trust, he knows how to find in God the peace that allows him to act with clarity and a serene heart.

And the Apostle adds: "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious—if there is any excellence or praiseworthy—think about these things" (cf. Phil 4:8). Here is another trait of your "identikit": a heart and mind trained in goodness. Before any external gesture, there is an interior gaze. Those who protect others must first protect truth, justice, goodness, and respect within themselves. Protecting others requires a heart protected by the Lord.

Your work certainly requires you to be vigilant, but today's Word invites you to something even more profound: to carefully watch over yourselves. To guard your hearts, so that they do not harden but are always docile to God and attentive to others; to guard your conscience, so that it continues to guide you with righteousness; to guard the brotherhood among you, so that each of you may feel welcomed, supported, and never alone. Because a group truly becomes a "community" when its members care for one another and learn to walk together, supporting one another with simplicity and love.

I also conclude this year with a thought of affection and gratitude for your families. To your parents, wives, children, and girlfriends: thank you! You know the sacrifices, the absences, the schedules, the worries, and even the burden of a service that isn't always seen.

To those who have served for so many years and to the fifteen who took the oath today, I say: never forget who and what you chose to serve. Be trustworthy, discreet, and loyal. Let Jesus inspire your service. May your most beautiful emblem be a heart that knows how to protect.

We entrust all this to Our Lady. May Mary, woman of care and trust, accompany your families and each of you. And we ask Saint Michael the Archangel to be at your side in your vigilance and in the fight against all evil. May he protect you in your service and help you remain faithful, so that the Lord Jesus may always be at the center of your life, your service, and your heart.