Good morning!

Dear brothers and sisters,

On the commemoration of the 160th anniversary of his birth, we give thanks to the Lord for the servant of God Rafael Mery del Val, who was born in London in 1865, in an environment in which openness to the world was part of everyday life: the son of a Spanish diplomat and an English mother, he had a cosmopolitan childhood that accustomed him from an early age to different languages and cultures. He grew up in an atmosphere of universality, which he would later recognize as the vocation of the Church, and this formation prepared him to be a docile instrument in the diplomatic service of the Holy See at a time marked by great challenges.

At a very young age, he was called to the service of Leo XIII to deal with delicate matters. Shortly thereafter, he was sent as apostolic delegate to Canada, where he worked for the unity of the Church and for Catholic education. He was a student at the current Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, an institution he would later preside over and which today, as it celebrates 325 years of history, recalls its long tradition of forming hearts in the faithful and generous service of the Apostolic See. There he came to understand — and to transmit 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 to the mission entrusted to the Successor of Peter (cf. 1 Cor 4:1-2).

He was just thirty-five years old when he was appointed titular archbishop of Nicaea, and a few years later, in 1903, at just thirty-eight, Saint Pius X made him cardinal and appointed him as his Secretary of State. His youth, however, was not an obstacle, as the history of the Church teaches that true maturity does not depend on age, but on identification with the measure of Christ's fullness (cf. Eph 4:13). What followed was a path of fidelity, discretion and dedication that made him one of the most significant figures in papal diplomacy in the twentieth century.

However, he was not only an office diplomat: in Rome he was very present among the children and young people of Trastevere, whom he catechized, confessed and accompanied with kindness. There he was recognised as a close priest, father and friend. This dual dimension – that of government diplomat and approachable pastor — is what gives his figure a particular richness, for he knew how to combine service to the universal Church with concrete attention to the least among us (cf. 1 Pet 5:2-3).

His name has become associated with a prayer that many of us know, the Litany of Humility. There we see the spirit with which he carried out his service. Allow me to dwell on some of the litanies, because they outline a model that is valid for all those who exercise responsibilities in the Church and in the world, and in a special way for the diplomats of the Holy See.

“From the desire of being esteemed... deliver me, O Jesus!” The desire for recognition is a constant temptation for those in positions of responsibility. Cardinal Merry del Val knew this well, as his appointments placed him at the centre of world attention. And yet, in the depths of his prayer, he asked to be freed from acclaim. He knew that the only true triumph is to be able to say every day: “Lord, I am where You want me to be, doing what You entrust to me today”. That silent fidelity, invisible to the eyes of the world, is what remains and bears fruit (cf. Mt 6:4).

“From the desire of being consulted… deliver me, O Jesus!” He was close to Benedict XV and Leo XIII, as well as a direct collaborator of Saint Pius X. He could have believed himself indispensable, but he showed us the place of the diplomat: to seek that God’s will be done through the ministry of Peter, beyond personal interests (cf. Phil 2:4). Those who serve in the Church do not seek to have their own voice prevail, but rather that the truth of Christ may speak. And in that renunciation, he discovered the freedom of the authentic servant (cf. Mt 20:26-27).

“From the fear of being humiliated… deliver me, O Jesus!” After the death of Saint Pius X he received other assignments, but he strove to continue serving with the same fidelity, with the serenity of one who knows that all service in the Church is valuable when lived for Christ. In this way, he showed that his task was not a pedestal, but a path of self-giving. True authority is not based on positions or titles, but on the freedom to serve even away from the spotlight (cf. Mt 23:11). And those who are not afraid of losing visibility gain availability to God.

“From the desire of being approved… deliver me, O Jesus!” He sought to live his mission with fidelity to the Gospel and freedom of spirit, without letting himself be guided by the desire to please, but by the truth always sustained by charity. And he understood that the fruitfulness of Christian life does not depend on human approval, but on the perseverance of those who, united to Christ like the branch to the vine, bear fruit when their season comes (cf. Jn 15:5).

Two phrases suffice to summarize his existence. His episcopal motto, which Scripture ascribes to Abraham (cf. Gen 14:21), was “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle” or “Give me souls, take away the rest”. He asked in his will that this be the only inscription on his tomb, which is now in the crypt of Saint Peter’s. Under the dome that preserves the memory of the apostle, he wanted to reduce his name to that unadorned plea. No honours, no titles, no biography; only the cry of a shepherd's heart.

The second phrase is the concluding plea in the Litany: “That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it”. Here we see a treasure of Christian life: holiness is not measured by comparison, but by communion. The Cardinal understood that we must work for our own holiness while encouraging that of others, walking together towards Christ (cf. 1 Thess 3:12-13). This is the logic of the Gospel and must be that of papal diplomacy: unity and communion, knowing that each one is called to be as holy as possible.

Dear children of the Merry del Val Family, may the memory of this member of your family, a true diplomat of encounter, be a source of deep gratitude and an inspiration to all of us, especially those who collaborate with the Successor of Peter in diplomacy. May the Virgin Mary, whom Rafael Merry del Val loved with filial tenderness, teach our families, the diplomats of the Holy See, and all those who serve in the Church, to unite truth and charity, prudence and boldness, service and humility, so that in everything only Christ may shine forth. Thank you very much.

Let us pray together as the Lord has taught us:

Our Father...

[Blessing]

Congratulations, and thank you again!

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 13 October 2025