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Image: Igreja da Memória, (Church of Memory) in Lisbon), Cathedral of Military Ordinariate
Pope Leo’s address to delegation of the Military Ordinariate for Portugal
Consistory Hall – Monday, 24 August 2026
The Military Ordinariate of Portugal (Portuguese: Ordinariato Castrense de Portugal)
is a military ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church.
Immediately subject to the Holy See, it provides pastoral care to Roman Catholics serving in the Portuguese Armed Forces and their families.
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Pope Leo’s Address:
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Peace be with you!
Your Excellencies, brothers and sisters,
You have come to Rome, and with you have also come the other members of your units, in a sense.
In welcoming you, I extend my greetings to all members of the Portuguese Army, Air Force, Navy, National Republican Guard, and Public Security Forces, whether Christian or not.
In a special way, in light of the risen Christ, I remember the two young Army soldiers who lost their lives last Friday while generously stopping to help, like the Good Samaritan. I entrust them to the Lord, together with their families.
Sixty years ago, the Vicariate was established with the well-being of the entire Armed and Security Forces, their members, and their families in mind. In 1981, it took the name Ordinariate Castrense, and twenty-five years ago, it had its first bishop.
You have come to Rome to commemorate this anniversary.
May the Ordinariate continue to contribute to the spiritual well-being and knowledge of Christian values and be a space for constructive collaboration with state, government, and military authorities.
For Christians, the pilgrimage to this city is a special chance to renew themselves, recognize the importance of God in their lives, and strengthen their faith by praying at the tomb of the Apostle Peter.
Each day, you are entrusted with the noble mission of defending the homeland’s sovereignty and the rule of law.
You safeguard the security of your fellow citizens and protect them from injustice.
Therefore, I would like to repeat this exhortation of Saint Paul to you: “Draw strength from the Lord… Stand firm. Gird your loins with truth.
Clothe yourself with the breastplate of righteousness.
Have zeal for spreading the gospel of peace as your footwear.”
(Ephesians 6:10, 14-15 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace).
Be strong in the Lord, as the centurion did when he approached Jesus in Capernaum.
He understood the values that guide your lives: obedience, discipline, self-denial, loyalty, camaraderie, dedication, responsibility, and courage.
At the same time, the soldier felt the need for God. He knew that humans are not sufficient in themselves, but aspire to something more, to something that transcends them. When his servant was in terrible pain, the centurion approached Jesus, who assured him that he would go and heal his servant.
So he answered him, “Lord, I am not worthy for you to enter under my roof, just say the word and my servant will be healed. For I, too, who am a subordinate, have soldiers under me, and I say to one, ‘Do this, and he does it'” (Matthew 8:8-9).
This attitude reveals how important the centurion considered the hierarchy to be, and how this aspect of his daily life influenced his interpretation of his relationship with Jesus of Nazareth. The centurion professes Jesus as his Lord and God.
Jesus was amazed by these words and said:
“Amen, I say to you, with no one in Israel have I found so great a faith” (v. 10).
On the one hand, this soldier was aware of his authority;
on the other hand, he showed the strength of faith and the courage of humility before the Son of God.
No matter how much responsibility a person has, how much power they wield, or how blameless they are, they are always hungry for the infinite and thirsty for eternity.
Infinity and eternity are within our reach in Jesus Christ—they are a gift from the Lord.
Your Excellencies, dear chaplains,
The Church entrusts to you the spiritual growth of the military personnel and law enforcement agencies of your nation.
Welcome everyone.
Listen to them and enlighten them with the wisdom of God’s Word.
Remain at their side by acting in Christ’s name during the celebration of the sacraments.
Accompany each one of them, and don’t forget their families.
The fruits of personal growth in the practice of the Christian life and the strengthening of the esprit de corps of the military and security forces you serve will come from this specific ministry of yours.
Thank you for your closeness as good pastors to those who carry out such an important, special, and demanding service for Portugal and beyond.
Your witness of love for the Church and for Portugal is a balm that comforts and gives hope.
Finally, I would like to express my esteem, appreciation, and recognition to all of you who have come here for the work you do in the Ordinariate.
May Our Lady of Fátima accompany you on your various missions in Portugal and abroad. May the joy of the Lord be your strength. God bless you!
Thank you.
