The unique history of the only person who can preach to the pope

One day last year I opened my email to find a curious message from Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa. The email began with a common assumption. Because my job title contains the phrase “Capuchin Fellow”, many people assume I must be a Capuchin friar myself. I am however simply an expert on the history of the Franciscans.

The cardinal had read an article I had published and emailed because he was looking for help with an English edition of some of his sermons on the topic of the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.

Staring at this email, I knew it was the start of an exciting new line of research. This was because of who Cantalamessa is: the Capuchin preacher to the papal household.

You wouldn’t be alone in not knowing the significance of this title, but for me, a scholar of Catholic history, it was exciting. The Capuchin Preacher to the Papal Household is an influential figure in the Catholic Church most people have never heard of, and the sermons he wanted help with were delivered to the Pope himself.

Cantalamessa belongs to the Capuchin Franciscans, whose origins can be traced as far back as 1525. Not named, as popularly believed, after the cappuccino or the monkey of the same name, the friars came to be known by the brown pointed hood or “capuche” on their habit (the coffee and the monkey were actually named after them).

In 1528, the Capuchins gained the approval of Pope Clement VII, and by the end of the 16th century had spread across Europe and beyond. The friars, known for their service to the poor, also gained a reputation for their fierce preaching skills and talents as missionaries, helping to spread the Catholic faith globally.

The office of “preacher to the papal household” has existed since 1555, when the role was known under the title of “apostolic preacher”. Initially the members of many different religious orders were selected for the position.

In 1743, Pope Benedict XIV awarded the title exclusively to the Capuchins. The role means that the holder is the only person allowed to preach to the Pope.

The key responsibility of the role involves preaching on the Sundays of Advent (the beginning of the liturgical year leading up to the Nativity) and Lent (the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday). These are periods of intense spiritual reflection for all Catholics, including the Pope and other members of the Papal Household.

The preacher preaches to the Pope, the cardinals, bishops and prelates (other high-ranking members of the clergy) of the Roman Curia (the administrative heart of the papacy) and the superiors of various religious orders. Since 1995, nuns, religious sisters and laywomen who work in the Vatican have also attended at Cantalamessa’s request. In more recent years the sermons have taken place in the stunning Redemptoris Mater Chapel and The Paul VI Audience Hall, while on Good Friday the sermon takes place in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Italian friar Raniero Cantalamessa has held the role since 1980. Before this he was a professor of ancient Christianity and director of the department of religious sciences at the Catholic University of Milan. Having just celebrated his 90th birthday, the Capuchin has, across his 40 years in the role, preached to the last three popes: Francis, Benedict XVI and John Paul II.

In 2014 he calculated that he had given 280 Advent and Lenten sermons in front of the pope, stating: “I’ve been responsible for having taken up a good 140 hours of the last three popes’ precious time.”

While the Capuchin has remained humble about his activity, his role is one of great influence. He has preached, for example, at the start of the last two conclaves in 2005 and 2013 when Benedict XVI and Francis were elected. Given relative freedom over the topic for his meditations, he is on record as stating that he tries to reflect on “the problems, needs or even graces the church is living at the moment”.

Often his sermons serve as a litmus test for the overall mood of the church and the priorities of the papacy. In 2006, for example, his Advent sermons made headlines when they urged Benedict XVI to hold a day of repentance for the child sex abuse crisis that had emerged, stating it was needed to address the “scandal inflicted” on the vulnerable.

In 2014, he slammed the “curse” of money in society, a theme Pope Francis applied to the Roman Curia itself in his Christmas 2014 remarks a few months later. In 2016, he preached on ecumenicism (the desire to promote better understanding between religious denominations), a topic which has been central to Francis’ papacy. In 2021, he urged church leaders not to be involved in stoking political divisions amongst Catholics, observing that “fraternity among Catholics is wounded” – a theme Francis also highlighted around the same time.

The role has not been without controversy, however. In 2010 he found himself at the centre of a media backlash after his Good Friday sermon. It was widely reported he had “suggested criticism of the Roman Catholic Church over paedophilia scandals was similar to anti-Semitism”. While it emerged that the friar had quoted directly from a letter from a Jewish friend, which stated that the accusations reminded him of the “more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism”, the Vatican still distanced itself from the remark.

The Capuchin quickly apologised, stating “if, against my intention, I’ve hurt the Jewish people’s feelings and those of the victims of child abuse, I’m truly sorry”. Such backlash further highlights the importance of the position and the public interest surrounding his sermons.

What started with one unusual email soon turned into months of work. In the end I worked closely with the Cardinal over several months (and multiple drafts) to perfect a new English language edition of his sermons. The cardinal remained characteristically charitable throughout the process, open to changes and suggested improvements. The result is a new edition of sermons by the papal preacher and an insight into a man at the heart of Catholicism.

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Liam Temple does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.