Vatican City, 21 May 2015 (VIS) –
This morning in the Paul VI Hall the Holy Father received in audience
six hundred relatives of members of the State Police gravely injured
in killed in service, and thanked them for their witness of Christian
hope and for their faithfulness to institutions and to a mission that
“demands the courage of helping those in danger and stopping the
aggressor”. Society as a whole, he added, “is indebted to you for
the possibility of conducting an orderly life, free of the arrogance
of the violent and the corrupt”.
“Those who, day after day, take on
the seriousness and commitment of their profession and place
themselves at the disposal of the community, and especially those who
are in danger or find themselves in situations of grave difficulty,
'go forth' to their neighbours and serve. Acting in this way, they
live their life, even in the eventuality of losing it, as Jesus did,
dying on the Cross. Only by contemplating Jesus on the Cross can we
find the strength to forgive and the consolation that our crosses too
will redeem His; therefore, every sacrifice and every tragedy will
find redemption in Him”, affirmed the Holy Father.
“The witness of Christian values is
even more eloquent in our times, in which the generous zeal of so
many is not often accompanied by the capacity to channel it in a
coherent and constant way. In our times, evidently, it proves easier
to commit oneself to something temporary or partial. On the contrary,
the work of the Police force requires something solid in time and,
although contingent situations change, there is a constant in all
ages: that of guaranteeing legality and order for all citizens,
allowing us to reap the benefits”.
The Pope also remarked that during
recent years the police have carried out decisive action in managing
the impact of the flow of refugees arriving in Italy, seeking refuge
from wars and persecution. “You are on the front line both in the
initial reception of immigrants, and in counteracting unscrupulous
traffickers. In this task … you are distinguished by your spirit of
service and humanity, motivated not only by the law but first and
foremost by the moral imperative to do good, to save as many people
as possible and to spare no energy or time in this commitment”.
“Be proud of your work and continue
to serve the state, every citizen and every person in danger. In
defending the weak and the law you will find the truest meaning of
your service and will be an example to the country, which needs
people who serve it with altruism, and generosity and constancy”.
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