This is a traditional occasion in the life of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, but it is a new experience for me, since it was only several months ago that I was called to shepherd Christ’s flock. I am pleased, therefore, to welcome you this morning, and I am grateful for your generous participation, which this year is enriched by the presence of the new resident Heads of Mission of Kazakhstan, Burundi and Belarus. I thank the respective Governmental Authorities for their decision to open in Rome diplomatic Representations to the Holy See.
This is a tangible sign of good and fruitful bilateral relations. Through all of you, dear Ambassadors, I wish to extend my good wishes to your countries, and to share a reflection on our times, which are so troubled by a growing number of tensions and conflicts. This past year saw many significant events, beginning with those directly affecting the life of the Church, which experienced a profoundJubilee,and saw the return to the Father’s house of my venerable predecessor,Pope Francis.
The whole world gathered around his coffin on the day of his funeral, and sensed the loss of a father who had guided the People of God with immense pastoral charity. A few days ago, we closed the last Holy Door, that of Saint Peter’s Basilica, whichPope Francishimself had opened on Christmas Night in 2024. During theHoly Year, millions of pilgrims flocked to Rome to make their Jubilee pilgrimage.
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Each person brought his or her own experiences, questions and joys, as well as pain and wounds, to pass through the Holy Doors, which are symbols of Christ himself, our heavenly physician. I am confident that, through these experiences, many people have been able to deepen or rediscover their relationship with the Lord Jesus, finding comfort and renewed hope for facing life’s challenges. The Holy See and Italy share not only geographical proximity, but above all a long history of faith and culture that binds the Church to this beautiful peninsula and its people.
This is also reflected in the excellent bilateral relations, sealed this year by the entry into force of the amendments to the Agreement on Spiritual Assistance to the Armed Forces, which will allow for more effective spiritual accompaniment of the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces in Italy, and in numerous missions abroad. There was likewise the signing of the Agreement for an agrivoltaic plant in Santa Maria di Galeria, which will enable the supply of electricity to Vatican City using renewable resources, thus confirming our common commitment to caring for creation. I am also grateful for the visits that I received from the senior Government officials at the beginning of my Pontificate and for the exquisitehospitality shown to me at the Quirinale Palace by the President of the Republic, to whom I wish to extend my cordial and appreciative greetings.
During the past year, having accepted the invitation given to Pope Francis, I had the joy ofbeing able to travel to Turkey and Lebanon. I am grateful to the authorities of both countries for their welcome. In İznik in Turkey, I had the opportunity to commemorate, together with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and representatives of other Christian confessions, the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea , the first Ecumenical Council.
It was an important opportunity to renew our commitment to the journey toward the full visible unity of all Christians. In Lebanon, I met a people who, despite the difficulties, are full of faith and enthusiasm, and I perceived the hope coming from the young people, who aspire to build a more just and cohesive society, strengthening the interweaving of cultures and religious faiths, which makes the Land of the Cedars unique in the world. Augustine wrote one of the most powerful works of his theological, philosophical and literary production: DeCivitate Dei,The City of God .
AsPope Benedict XVIobserved , it is an “imposing and decisive work for the development of Western political thought and for the Christian theology of history”, which takes its cue from a “narrative” – we would say in contemporary terms – that was spreading: “The pagans, still numerous at that time, and also not a few Christians thought that the God of the new religion and the Apostles themselves had shown themselves incapable of protecting the city. In the times of the pagan deities, Rome wascaput mundi, the great capital, and no one could think that it would fall into the hands of enemies. Now, with the God of the Christians, this great city no longer appeared safe”.
Certainly, our times are far removed from those events. It’s not just a matter of temporal distance, but also of a different cultural sensibility and a development of thought categories. However, we cannot ignore the fact that our own cultural sensibility has drawn nourishment from that work, which, like all classics, speaks to people of all times.
Augustine interprets events and historical reality according to the model of two cities: the city of God, which is eternal and characterised by the unconditional love of God (amor Dei), combined with love for one’s neighbor, especially the poor; and the earthly city, which is a temporary dwelling place where human beings live until death. In our day, this city encompasses all social and political institutions, from the family to the nation state and international organisations. The earthly city is centred on proud self-love (amor sui), on the lust for worldly power and glory that leads to destruction.
However, this is not a reading of history that intends to contrast the hereafter with the hereafter, the Church with the State, nor a dialectic regarding the role of religion in civil society. From Augustine’s perspective, the two cities coexist until the end of time and possess both an external and an internal dimension, since they are measured not only by the external attitudes with which they are constructed in history, but also by the internal attitude of every human being towards the facts of life and historical events. From this perspective, each of us is a protagonist and therefore responsible for history.
In particular, Augustine emphasises that Christians are called by God to dwell in the earthly city with their hearts and minds turned towards the heavenly city, their true homeland. However, the Christian, living in the earthly city, is not alien to the political world, and seeks to apply Christian ethics, inspired by Scripture, to civil government.
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