The Author discusses the speech of Pope Francis delivered to the judges, officials and other collaborators of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota on 24 January 2014 (on the occasion of the inauguration of the judicial year) concerning the ecclesiastical judge. In the first part of the speech, Pope Francis paid attention to the pastoral dimension of the judicial ministry in the Church – which represents a service to the truth and justice – aimed to purpose the good of the faithful and to build up the Christian co mm unity. In the second part, the Pope characterizes a profile of the ecclesiastical judge in the following aspects: human, judicial and pastoral ones. Based on the speech of Pope Francis, the Author refers to the issues present in the teaching of Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI.