This morning, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the representatives of the Association of Lay Vatican Employees and the Association Donne in Vaticano (“Women in the Vatican”).
The following is the address delivered by the Pope to those present at the meeting:
Address of the Holy Father
In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am pleased to welcome you, I thank you for your visit, and even more so, for the dedication and spirit of service with which you carry out your daily work in various bodies of the Apostolic See, thus collaborating in the Pope’s pastoral ministry.
In the face of the challenges currently facing the world of work, particularly those posed by developments in artificial intelligence, it is more essential than ever to keep the focus firmly on the irreplaceable centrality of the human person and on the inalienable dignity of work; for work, in fact, “is not simply an instrument; it expresses and enhances the dignity of our lives. It is a requirement of the human condition, a normal path toward maturity, development and personal fulfilment”.[1]
Through work, “we contribute to the progress of society and the common good, put to good use the capabilities we have received, improve and beautify the world, support our families, engage in cooperative relationships and, through listening and dialogue, learn to build together something that no one could achieve alone”.[2]
Dear friends, you belong to two different Associations, but you share the same workplace: the Vatican. My Predecessors, in their teachings on the nature of work within the Apostolic See, emphasized two concepts of fundamental importance: that of community and that of unity, which are also very dear to my heart.
Indeed, all those who, in various capacities and with different tasks, are called to contribute through their work to the Pope’s ministry, form an ecclesial community, participating, in a spirit of faith and unity, in the one and universal mission which the Lord Jesus entrusted to the Apostle Peter and his successors.
With equal dignity, everyone contributes, each in their own role and through their own professional commitment, to the same mission, demonstrating this awareness and responsibility first and foremost “through scrupulous fidelity to all the tasks and duties assigned, as well as through the zeal, diligence and professionalism that must characterize anyone taking part in the activities of the Apostolic See”.[3]
Saint John Paul II recognized that – I quote – “to promote such a spirit … Associations of workers, such as the Association of Lay Vatican Employees, can play a valuable collaborative role”, adding that “it is not in keeping with the Church’s social teaching for such organizations to drift into conflict or strife”.[4]
The path of dialogue, therefore, remains the main route along which I too urge you always to walk, with confidence and creativity, in our shared search for appropriate solutions to the problems we must face together and in the daily edification of our working community.
Revitalising dialogue, at all levels, is in fact what, in my first Encyclical, I sought to propose to the whole Church and to all women and men of good will, as an “integral part of the Church’s vocation” [5], the “primary means of coexistence between people” [6] and the “standard means of resolving conflicts”.[7] In particular, the Association of Lay Employees in the Vatican is defined, in the current “Regulatory Framework” governing it, as “a structure for dialogue between its members and the Labour Office of the Apostolic See”.[8]
For its part, the Association of Women in the Vatican can help to promote, within our circles, a spirit of collaboration, mutual listening and attentiveness to situations of difficulty. The presence of women is an asset that must be increasingly recognized and valued. They bring not only a particular sensitivity towards people and relationships, but also the full range of human, professional and intellectual talents characteristic of women’s experience and way of thinking. Their expertise, capacity for discernment, creativity and practicality enrich the life of institutions and help to attain a broader perspective on reality and the challenges we face.
As we journey together along this path, we shall commit ourselves to building, ever more so, a working community where people are not exploited or sidelined, where we help one another, and where each person’s value and competence are recognized, thereby avoiding the generation of dissatisfaction and resentment.[9]
With these sentiments of appreciation and trust, I wholeheartedly bless you, your loved ones and your work. Thank you.
___________________________________________
[1] Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas (15 May 2026), 149.
[2] Ibid., 148.
[3] Saint John Paul II, Letter regarding the meaning of work within the Apostolic See (20 November 1982): AAS 75 (1983), p. 121.
[4] Ibid., p. 123.
[5] Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 2.
[6] Ibid., 219.
[7] Ibid., 221.
[8] Regulatory framework governing relations between the Labour Office of the Apostolic See (ULSA) and the Association of Lay Vatican Employees (ADLV)’, approved by a decree of the Secretary of State (NO. 343.814/A, of 16 April 1994).
[9] Cf. Address to the Roman Curia for the exchange of Christmas greetings (22 December 2025).
