Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has emphasized that the true essence of Vatican diplomacy lies not in power or prestige, but in the humble service that allows the light of Christ to shine through. Speaking on the 160th anniversary of the birth of the Servant of God, Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, the Pope reflected on the late prelate’s life of quiet dedication and spiritual depth.
The Holy Father met on Monday with a group associated with Cardinal Merry del Val, who was born in London in 1865 to a Spanish diplomat father and an English mother. The Pope described the Cardinal as “a docile instrument in the diplomatic service of the Holy See during a time marked by great challenges,” recalling how his background in multiple cultures gave him a profound sense of the Church’s universality.
Pope Leo recounted the early formation of Cardinal Merry del Val, who studied at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and was later sent by Pope Leo XIII to Canada as Apostolic Delegate to strengthen Catholic education. His exceptional service and priestly devotion led him to eventually head the very same Academy, which is marking its 325th anniversary this year.
“There he came to understand and to transmit by his example that the Church’s diplomacy flourishes when it is lived in priestly fidelity, by a heart that offers its talents to Christ and to the mission entrusted to the Successor of Peter,” the Pope reflected.
At just 38 years old, Merry del Val was elevated to the rank of Cardinal by Pope St. Pius X and appointed Vatican Secretary of State. “What followed,” said Pope Leo XIV, “was a path of fidelity, discretion, and dedication that made him one of the most significant figures in pontifical diplomacy of the twentieth century.”
Even as one of the highest-ranking officials in the Vatican, Cardinal Merry del Val maintained a life of pastoral closeness to the poor and young people in Rome’s Trastevere district, where he was known as a teacher, friend, and spiritual father.
Pope Leo XIV then drew attention to the Cardinal’s famous Litany of Humility, a prayer that the Pope said encapsulates the spirit that must animate all who serve the Holy See. He recited several invocations that the Cardinal himself composed:
“From the desire of being praised… deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted… deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated… deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being accepted… deliver me, Jesus.”
“These words,” Pope Leo observed, “reflect the heart of one who sought not personal success but the triumph of truth and love in service to the Church.” The Pope praised the Cardinal’s ability to step back gracefully after his tenure as Secretary of State, placing the mission of Peter above any personal ambition.
“One who serves the Church does not seek for his own voice to prevail, but for the truth of Christ to speak,” the Pope affirmed. “And in that renunciation, he discovered the freedom of the true servant.”
Pope Leo XIV also reflected on the humility expressed even in Cardinal Merry del Val’s burial. Beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, his tomb bears only the words of his episcopal motto: “Give me souls; take away rest.”
“Beneath the dome that shelters the memory of the Apostle, he wished his name to be reduced to that simple plea,” said the Pope. “No honors, no titles, no biography only the cry of a shepherd’s heart.”
The Cardinal’s Litany of Humility ends with a final invocation: “That others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should.” Pope Leo remarked that this sentiment reveals the essence of sanctity not competition, but communion.
Concluding his reflection, Pope Leo XIV invoked the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom Cardinal Merry del Val loved with deep devotion. He prayed that her example might inspire all those engaged in the Church’s mission especially its diplomats to unite truth with charity, prudence with courage, and service with humility.
“May all who serve the Church,” Pope Leo said, “learn from Cardinal Merry del Val that holiness is not found in recognition, but in letting Christ alone shine forth.”