Pope: Civil harmony allows poor to find welcome, services to reach all

By Devin Watkins

Pope Leo XIV met on Monday with Prefects of the Italian Republic, who represent the government’s executive authority at the provincial level.

In his speech, the Pope recalled the ancient connection between Prefects and Bishops in the Roman Empire, when both would watch over different aspects of citizens’ lives.

He pointed to St. Ambrose of Milan, who served as Prefect of the city when it was the capital of the Roman Empire and was then acclaimed as its Bishop by the local people.

“Following this rapid transition, Ambrose exercised his public duties in a new way, placing at the service of the people the spiritual authority with which he had been invested,” he noted.

Even today, said Pope Leo, the Church and the Italian State work together to care for people’s spiritual and temporal needs.

“Our own time, marked by conflicts and international tensions,” he said, “especially highlights the importance of safeguarding the common good, which cannot be reduced to material aspects, since it concerns the moral and spiritual heritage of the Italian Republic.”

By guarding Italy’s social harmony, he said, Italian Prefects promote social order, so that the poor find welcome, the elderly have greater peace of mind, and families, the young, and the sick receive essential services.

Public order, he added, requires both the fight against crime and efforts to suppress forms of violence, falsehood, and vulgarity that cause strife.

Pope Leo recalled that civil servants are required to serve the good of the nation, which he said requires interior discipline and an upright conscience.

Italian Prefects, he said, work to promote collaboration among various state bodies while also upholding professional responsibility and proper conduct of life.

“Especially in situations of emergency—before calamities or dangers—your role makes it possible to express at its best the values of solidarity, courage, and justice that honor the Italian Republic,” he said.

The Pope acknowledged the challenges posed by new technologies—including artificial intelligence—to public administration, and invited Prefects to employ them so that all residents of Italy may benefit.

Pope Leo XIV pledged the collaboration and respect of the Catholic Church for the good of the Italian State.

In conclusion, he thanked Italian civil servants for cultivating a style of citizenship that is “conscious, honest, and active.”