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Illustration: Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child by Jan van de Venne, 163-1651
Pope Francis’ address to the Transport and Materials Corps of the Italian Army
Clementine Hall – Thursday, 7 November 2024
Members of the Transport and Materials Corps of the Italian Army,
Dear brothers, Dear sisters!
I am pleased to meet you on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Christopher as your patron by the Venerable Pope Pius XII on 4 November 1954.
I too have devotion to St. Christopher, I always wear the medal of St. Christopher to help me move forward.
I rejoice that a military corps has asked for and received the high patronage of a martyred saint, who gave his life for the witness to Christ.
This means, first of all, recognizing that there is no profession or state of life that does not need to be anchored in true values, and does not need divine protection.
In fact, it could be said that the more a profession involves the possibility of saving lives or losing them, of providing support, help and protection, the more it needs to maintain a high code of ethics and inspiration that comes from above.
To have a patron saint and to be proud of it is to commit oneself, in the service of the homeland, to work with a style that places the dignity of every human being at the top, who is the image of the Creator: we are images of God.
A style that stands out for the defence of the weakest and those in danger both from wars and from natural disasters or pandemics.
Honoring one’s patron also means recognizing that the ability, the sense of duty, the self-sacrifice of each individual are certainly necessary, but that, in addition to all this, it is also necessary to implore from Heaven that additional grace which is indispensable for the best fulfilment of the missions undertaken.
In short, it means recognizing that we are not omnipotent, that not everything is in our hands and that we need God’s blessing.
I congratulate you on your sensitivity, on your awareness of the value and sensitivity of your tasks, which are not exceptional in themselves, but can suddenly become so.
You know this very well: they become so when you are called upon to intervene in peacekeeping operations, or to deal with the consequences of natural disasters, to carry out civil protection tasks and indispensable logistical activities.
In fact, you have lent your work to help citizens and local and regional authorities in various emergencies such as earthquakes, floods and pandemics.
You have set up camps, shelters and field hospitals. You have transported basic necessaries, useful materials for reconstruction and vaccinations.
You have also been present beyond national borders in peace-keeping missions, providing both military logistics and the transport and distribution of materials and supplies for humanitarian purposes.
The punctual, well-coordinated and constant performance of all these activities has a precise name: service.
It means placing oneself at the service of the common good, sparing no energy and effort, not shrinking from dangers in order to fulfil one’s task, often saving lives and sometimes sacrificing one’s own safety.
To serve, to serve, and to give service gives us dignity.
What is your dignity? I am a servant: that is the great dignity!
In this regard, it is significant that many men and women, at the end of their active service, do not distance themselves from the Transport and Material Corps, but choose to become part of the National Association of Italian Drivers.
As volunteers, they offer their help to the community, testifying that the disposition to serve has become a natural habit in them, a normal feature of their existence, which cannot be abandoned at any moment, but which instead must be calibrated according to the age and conditions of each one, because everyone, at any age, they can make their contribution, continuing to serve.
Christopher means “he who brings Christ“.
When you work hard every day,
when you spare no effort to keep your departments functioning;
when you go to the aid of peoples affected by natural disasters or armed conflicts,
you bring, sometimes without knowing it, in a certain sense carry the style of Christ, who came to serve and not to be served (Mt 10:42 – whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward):
This is Jesus, who passed on this earth doing good and healing all (Acts 10:38 – God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him).
Sisters and brothers, let us ask your patron Saint Christopher to keep you always in these good intentions. And, in this regard, I make my own an expression of the “Prayer of the Author“, which goes like this:
“Almighty and Eternal God, protect and bless our service we render to our brothers and sisters, and give us the ability to use our means also to help and save those in need”.
May Mary, Mother of God, protect and accompany you; may you become workers and artisans of peace. I cordially bless you all and your families.
And I ask you to please pray for me. Thank you very much!!
