Pope Leo’s address at the inauguration of the judicial year of the Tribunal of the Vatican City State
Hall of Blessings – Saturday, 14 March 2026
Your Eminences and Excellencies,
Distinguished civil and military authorities,
Distinguished members of the Judicial Authority of Vatican City State,
dear brothers and sisters,
I am pleased to meet you today, for the first time, at the opening of the judicial year of the Vatican City State tribunal.
I extend my cordial greetings to each of you, accompanied by my gratitude for your service in the delicate and valuable task of administering justice.
Your discreet and silent work significantly contributes to the proper functioning of the State’s institutional framework and, more importantly, to the credibility of the legal order that underpins it.
However, authentic justice cannot be understood solely in technical terms of positive law.
In light of the Church’s mission, justice is also an ordered form of charity that safeguards and promotes communion.
In our first meeting, I would like to share thoughts with you about the relationship between justice and unity.
The Christian tradition has always recognized justice as a fundamental virtue for personal and community life.
In this regard, St. Augustine noted that the societal order stems from the order of love, affirming that “ordinata dilectio est iustitia” (ordered love is justice).
When love is rightly ordered and God is placed at the center, recognizing the dignity of one’s neighbor, then the whole of personal and social life regains its proper orientation.
The order of justice also arises from this order of love.
Authentic love is never arbitrary or disordered; it recognizes the truth of relationships and the dignity of every person.
Therefore, justice is not just a legal principle, but also a virtue that fosters communion and stabilizes community life.
Theological and legal reflections within the Christian tradition have further developed this perspective.
St. Thomas, for example, defines justice, drawing on Roman law, as “constans et perpetua voluntas ius suum unicuique tribuendi” (a constant and perpetual will to give everyone their rights).
Through this definition, the Angelic Doctor emphasizes the consistent and objective nature of justice. Justice is not contingent on personal interests but is grounded in the truth of each individual and the pursuit of the common good.
Notably, he states that “iustitia ad bonum commune ordinatur” (justice is directed towards the common good).
In the light of this tradition, the profound connection between justice and charity becomes clear.
Theological wisdom expresses this relationship with the assertion that “caritas perfecta, perfecta iustitia est” (perfect love is perfect justice), because in the fullness of charity, justice finds is most authentic fulfillment.
Therefore, where there is no true justice, there can be no authentic law, since law itself arises from the recognition of the truth of being and the dignity of every person.
Thus conceived, Justice is the cardinal virtue that calls us “to respect the rights of each individual and to establish harmony human relationships that promotes equity with regard to persons and the common good”.
This recognition paves the way to charity because only when relationships aligned with truth can the highest fruit of love, communion, become possible. e.
Therefore, the restoration of justice is a prerequisite for the arrival of charity, which is a gift of the Spirit and the principle of unity in the Church.
From this perspective, we also understand that love and truth are inseparable.
Only by loving do we know the truth, and loving the truth leads us to discover charity as its fulfillment.
For this reason, when justice is exercised with balance and fidelity to the truth, it becomes one of the most unifying factors within the community.
Justice strengthens the bonds that unite people, helping to build the mutual necessary for orderly coexistence.
In the context of Vatican City State, the administering of justice is particularly relevant.
The administration of justice is not limited to resolving disputes; it also contributes to protecting the legal order and the credibility of institutions.
Procedural safeguards, impartial judges, effective rights of defense, and reasonable proceedings are not merely technical instruments of the judicial process.
Rather, they are the conditions through which the judicial function gains authority and contributes to institutional stability.
In a legal system such as that of Vatican City State – which serves the mission of the Successor of Peter by safeguarding the Holy See’s independence, including in the international sphere (see Lateran Treaty, Preamble) – this function is of greater significance.
The administration of justice, in fact, also contributes to the protection of the value of unity which constitutes an essential element of ecclesial life.
From this perspective, the trial is not merely an arena for conflict between opposing claims.
Rather, it becomes an ordered space in which, through regulated dialogue. between the parties and the impartial intervention of the judge, disagreement is brought back within a framework of truth and justice.
In this light, it is worth recalling once again the teaching of St. Augustine:
“A republic cannot be administered without justice.
Where, therefore, there is no true justice there can be no right.
What is done by right is justly done; what is unjust cannot be done by right.”
There is no republic where there is no justice.”
Further, justice is the virtue that gives everyone their due.
So where is man’s justice when he deserts the true God?
Dear brothers and sisters,
Your service has a value that is not only institutional, but also ecclesial.
Through the careful discernment of the facts, respectful listening to the people involved and the correct application of the rules to faithfully represent the principles of the legal system, you participate in a legal and spiritual mission.
In the Church, justice is not merely the technical application of the law; it is a ministry in service to the People of God.
It requires legal expertise as well as wisdom, balance, and a constant search for truth in charity. Every decision, trial, and judgment should reflect this search for truth, which lies at the heart of the Church’s life.
When justice is exercised with integrity and fidelity to the truth, it fosters unity and becomes a source of stability and trust within society.
Therefore, continue to carry out this service with integrity, prudence, and an evangelical spirit.
May justice always be enlightened by the truth and accompanied by mercy, as both find fulfillment in Christ.
Thus, when applied with rectitude and an ecclesial spirit, the law becomes a valuable instrument for building communion and strengthening the unity of the People of God.
I entrust your work to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, so that she may protect and guide you.
I cordially impart to you the Apostolic Blessing, a pledge of communion and peace for you and for your service to justice, truth and unity.
Thank you
