Vatican City, 10 January 2014 (VIS) –
This morning in the Sala Clementina the Pope received in audience the
Gentlemen of His Holiness, the corps created by Pope Paul VI in 1968.
They are laymen who are recompensed for their work for the Church and
receive this honorific duty on a discretionary basis. They form part
of the lay papal household, like the Commandant of the Swiss Guard.
They were previously known as the Papal Chamberlains of the Sword and
Cape, a role that was either by secret participation or hereditary.
Their main current role is to receive heads of Government or State
upon arrival in the Vatican and to accompany them to their meeting
with the Pontiff.
“The various Authorities and other
personalities who visit the See of Peter experience their first
contact with this House and receive their first impressions through
you, dear Gentlemen”, remarked the Pope. “As your name indicates,
the gifts of politeness and cordiality are therefore necessary to put
these people at ease. These human qualities find their most authentic
root in a life inspired by faith, which bears witness to evangelical
coherence unmarred by worldly attitudes”.
Pope Francis commented that the time of
the Nativity is now nearing its end, and he encouraged the Gentlemen
and their families to ensure that “this inner light is not
dispersed, so we may bring to our daily, family and professional
lives the joy of faith, which is expressed in charity, benevolence
and tenderness”.
“I bless you all and wish you a
serene and fruitful year. Let us pray for each other”, he
concluded.
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