On Sunday, Pope Francis celebrated a Mass on account of the 200th anniversary of the Vatican Gendarmerie.
During his homily, the pope told them about a passage of the Bible in which three types of people are described: exploiters, crooks, and faithful men.
The pope talked about the first two types.
POPE FRANCIS
'He loves money, he loves riches: riches are an idol. He does not mind, as the prophet says, trampling on the poor. They own the great 'slave labor industries.' Today, in the world, slave labor is a style we need to deal with.'
The Vatican Gendarmerie's duty, the pope said, is to uncover and persecute these kinds of wrongdoings.
POPE FRANCIS
'Your duty is to prevent ugly things from happening, like those done by crooks and exploiters. Your duty, often so underpaid, is to protect and promote honesty. I thank you for your vocation; I thank you for the work you do.'
The Vatican Gendarmerie is the police corps of the Vatican State. Established in 1816 by Pope Pius VII, as of 2016, it has 130 members. They are the pope's guardian angels, responsible for ensuring public order at audiences, meetings, and ceremonies in the Vatican at which the pope is present.
