Above: Pope Leo XIV greets people at an audience in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Oct. 13, 2025, as part of a conference on the life and work of Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, who lived 1865-1930. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
By Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The “Litany of Humility,” which often is attributed to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, “outlines a model that is valid for all those who exercise responsibilities in the church,” Pope Leo XIV said. The first petition of the litany is “From the desire of being esteemed … deliver me, O Jesus!” “The desire for recognition is a constant temptation for those in positions of responsibility,” the pope said. And while Cardinal Merry del Val held very important positions in the church, “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.’ Silent fidelity, invisible to the eyes of the world, is what remains and bears fruit,” Pope Leo said, discussing the litany at a meeting Oct. 13 with people attending a conference on the cardinal’s life and work.
