Pope Leo XIV remembers Cardinal Merry del Val as a true diplomat of the meeting

Pope Leo XIV commemorated the 160th anniversary of the birth of the Servant of God Rafael Merry del Val, remembering his figure as a model of “fidelity, humility and diplomatic service to the Gospel.”

“He understood—and transmitted by his example—that the diplomacy of the Church flourishes when it is lived within priestly fidelity, that of a heart that offers its talents to Christ and the mission entrusted to the Successor of Peter,” said the Pope in an audience held this morning in the Apostolic Palace.

The event was attended by members of the Merry del Val family, representatives of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

In his speech, the Pope gratefully evoked the life and work of Cardinal Merry del Val (1865–1930), who was Secretary of State of Saint Pius X and one of the most prominent figures of papal diplomacy of the 20th century. “We thank the Lord for the figure of the Servant of God Rafael Merry del Val, who was born in London in 1865, in an environment in which openness to the world was daily,” the Pontiff began.

Leo “This training prepared him as a docile instrument for the diplomatic service of the Holy See in a time marked by great challenges,” he said.

The Pope recalled the first assignments of the young Merry del Val under the pontificate of Leo XIII, as well as his work as apostolic delegate in Canada, where he worked “for the unity of the Church and for Catholic education.” He also mentioned his time at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, an institution that turns 325 years old today, and which he himself presided over.

Recalling his youth – he was named titular archbishop of Nicaea at the age of 35 and cardinal secretary of state at only 38 – Leo XIV pointed out that his life demonstrates that “true maturity does not depend on age, but on identification with the fullness of Christ.”

In addition to his service in the Roman Curia, the Pontiff highlighted his pastoral closeness in the working-class neighborhoods of Rome: “He was not just an office diplomat: in Trastevere he catechized, confessed and lovingly accompanied children and young people. There he was recognized as a close priest, father and friend.”

The Pontiff dedicated an important part of his speech to the Litany of Humility, a prayer composed by Merry del Val, from which the Pope extracted spiritual teachings for those who exercise responsibilities in the Church and in the world.

“The desire for recognition is a constant temptation for those who hold responsibilities,” the Pope noted, quoting the invocation “From the desire to be praised, deliver me, Jesus.”

“The only true triumph,” he said, “is to be able to say every day: ‘Lord, I am where You want me to be, doing what You entrust me with, today.’ That silent fidelity is what bears fruit,” he added.

He also meditated on other supplications of prayer, such as “Of the desire to be consulted” and “Of the fear of being humiliated,” affirming that Cardinal Merry del Val knew how to live his service “without seeking visibility, with interior freedom and fidelity to the Gospel.”

The Pontiff summed up his legacy in two sentences. The first, his episcopal motto: “Give me the souls, others take“(“Give me souls, take away the rest”), which he asked to be the only inscription on his tomb in the crypts of Saint Peter. “Under the dome that preserves the memory of the apostle,” said the Pope, “he wanted to reduce his name to that naked supplication. No honors, no titles, no biography; “just the cry of a shepherd’s heart.”

The second phrase, taken from the Litany, expresses his understanding of holiness: “May others be holier than I, provided I am as holy as I can.” “Holiness,” Leo XIV commented, “is not measured by comparison, but by communion. We must work for our own holiness while promoting that of others, walking together toward Christ.”

The Pope concluded his message by addressing the descendants and admirers of the cardinal: “Dear children of the Merry del Val family, may the memory of this true diplomat of the meeting be a source of deep gratitude and an inspiration for those who collaborate with the Successor of Peter. May the Virgin Mary, whom Rafael Merry del Val loved with filial tenderness, teach us to unite truth and charity, prudence and audacity, service and humility, of so that in everything only Christ shines.”

The audience culminated with the Our Father prayed together, in an atmosphere of meditation and gratitude for the memory of one of the great servants of the Holy See.