A great community that reflects the face of the Church. This is how Pope Leo XIV defined the Secretariat of State, receiving its members in audience in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican. This institution, which collaborates closely with the Roman Pontiff in the exercise of his supreme mission, was recognized by the Pope as an indispensable support in his first steps as Successor of Peter.

“I am very happy to meet you, who offer a precious service to the life of the Church, helping me to carry out the mission entrusted to me,” the Pontiff told the nearly 200 superiors and officials present. Leaving aside his prepared text, he added warmly: “It comforts me to know that I am not alone […] It is very necessary to be able to count on the collaboration of so many in the Holy See, but in a special way, with all of you in the Secretariat of State. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

At the beginning of his speech, he thanked Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, for his continued collaboration. He then highlighted the universal face that this institution has assumed throughout its history, which dates back to the 15th century. Today, its structure reflects greater inclusion: almost half of its members are lay people, and among them are more than fifty women, both lay and religious.

The Pope emphasized that this diversity is a reflection of a Church working together: “Together we share the questions, the difficulties, the challenges, and the hopes of the People of God.” He added that the work of the Secretariat must always express two essential dimensions: the incarnation in time and the universal Catholic gaze.

“The Church is called to follow the path of human language, so that the joy of the Gospel may reach everyone,” the Pope explained, recalling that these two dimensions have become even more necessary following the reform of the Curia promoted by Saint Paul VI. The Secretariat of State, he affirmed, acts as a link of conjunction and synthesis between the different entities of the Curia, assisting the Pope in his pastoral and diplomatic action.

Leo XIV acknowledged that the tasks entrusted to this institution “are very demanding and can sometimes be misunderstood,” and therefore wished to express his “profound gratitude” for the “almost always hidden” work and for the “evangelical spirit” with which it is carried out.

Finally, he concluded his address with an exhortation inspired by the words of Saint Paul VI: “May this place not be contaminated by ambitions and antagonisms. On the contrary, may it be a true community of faith and charity, of brothers and sisters and children of the Pope, who dedicate themselves generously to the good of the Church.”