The Church recognises that military personnel can contribute enormously to the stability of our world and to the establishment of peace.
This Jubilee will celebrate the efforts all members of the armed forces and police, municipal police, security operators, veterans, military associations, military academies, chaplaincies and military ordinariates provide for peace.
PRAYER
Lord our God, we thank you for the service and sacrifice of all who have made possible the freedom we enjoy and the heritage we have been given.
We commend to you all who serve our nation in the Armed Forces, Police and Security. Shelter them in danger, and in time of peace keep them from all evil.
For ourselves, we pray that you will help us to persevere in loyalty and courage, and grant us to be worthy of those who have gone before us.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
TEACHING
From Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 1965):
“79. Those too who devote themselves to the military service of their country should regard themselves as the agents of security and freedom of peoples. As long as they fulfill this role properly, they are making a genuine contribution to the establishment of peace.”
From Pope Francis’ Address in the Fourth Course for the Formation of Military Chaplains (2015):
“Many soldiers return home with real inner wounds after military operations or peace-keeping missions. War can leave an indelible mark on them. In fact war always leaves an indelible mark.
“These people and their families need special pastoral attention and a solicitude that enables them to feel the Church’s motherly closeness. The role of military chaplains is to accompany and support them on their journey, to be a comforting and brotherly presence for them all.”
From Pope Francis’ Address to the Managers and Staff of the Vatican Inspectorate of Public Security (2024):
“Yours is a job with many facets, consisting of patient prevention, vigilance in the field, management of unforeseen, sometimes dangerous situations, in most cases dealt with discreetly and inconspicuously. It is a job that requires courage, tact, steady nerves, attention and understanding for the needs and criticalities of those who ask for your help and also of those who make your intervention necessary with problematic behaviour of various kinds.
“Saint John XXIII used to say that the work of the forces of order is a burdensome task, that requires high moral qualities and above all dedication and sacrifice for the attainment of the common good. Therefore, he defined you as “good servants of the human community and builders of peace in society” (cf. Address to the Participants in the 16th International “Rallye” of the European Police Corps, Castelgandolfo, 8 September 1961).”
From Pope Francis’ Message to mark the 64th International Military Pilgrimage to Lourdes (2024):
“We need men and women of faith who are capable of putting weapons at the service of peace and brotherhood.
“Be military men and women who stand tall and proud to honour your uniform, your motto and your homeland, but who are also aware that you are part of a single human family, a family that is divided and wounded, but which Christ came to redeem and save through the power of love, not the violence of arms.”
TESTIMONY
“Military conflict is an unfortunate reality in society. Obviously from our faith perspective we wish that that were not so, but the kingdom of God hasn’t been fully arrived at… and we’re working towards that but in the interim, military conflict remains a reality.
“The Australian Army is very professional in the sense that we spend our careers learning how to apply violence in a controlled fashion in accordance with government policy – which is the doctrinal definition of what we do. But it’s done to limit the number of lives that will be lost. It’s done to save lives. If you’d been to places like Timor in ‘99 and seen burnt out buildings, or Iraq, Afghanistan – you actually realise what war does to the fabric of a country and it makes you appreciate that our country has been blessed by not having major conflict on our soil in our modern history.
“As military professionals we approach violence as the last resort, but like any insurance policy, when you call on the insurance policy it’s got to be functional. There’s no point pulling it out and finding it’s worthless. That’s why armies have to train, why they always have to be on the ball and thinking about these issues, not because they want to go to war, but because they realise if they do go to war, it’s not the time to find out they’re not ready.”
– Lieutenant Colonel Gavin Keating (From the Catholic Voice)
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
We pray for all who serve in our Defence and Police Forces and as Security Personnel, that their daily work may be blessed, and members who are in danger will be kept safe.
Lord, hear us.
We pray for those who have given their lives in the service of our nation’s freedom and safety, that they may know eternal peace in God’s kingdom.
Lord, hear us.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Managers and Staff of the Vatican Inspectorate of Public Security (10 February, 2024)
Message of the Holy Father Francis Signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, to mark the 64th International Military Pilgrimage to Lourdes (25 May, 2024)
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