ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES
Saint Peter's Square
Wednesday, 29 June 2016
Wednesday, 29 June 2016
Dear
Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
Today we celebrate the Feast
of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, praising God for their preaching and their
witness. On the faith of these two Apostles was founded the Church of Rome,
which has always venerated them as Patrons. However, the entire universal
Church, which looks to them with admiration, considers them as two pillars and
two great lights that shine not only in the sky of Rome, but in the heart of
believers of the East and of the West.
In the narrative of the
Apostles’ mission, the Gospel tells us that Jesus sent them out two by two (cf.
Mt 10:5; Lk 10:1). In a certain sense Peter and Paul too, from the Holy Land,
were sent as far as Rome to preach the Gospel. The two men were very different
from one another: Peter a “humble fisherman”, Paul a “teacher and doctor”, as
recited in today’s liturgy. But if we know Jesus here in Rome, and if the
Christian faith is a living and fundamental part of the spiritual patrimony and
of the culture of this territory, it is due to the apostolic courage of these
two sons of the Near East. Out of love for Christ they left their homeland and,
undaunted by the difficulty of the long journey or by the risks and diffidence
they were sure to encounter, they arrived in Rome. Here they proclaimed and
witnessed to the Gospel among the people, and with their martyrdom they sealed
their mission of faith and charity.
Today Peter and Paul return
ideally among us, retracing the streets of this City, knocking at the doors of
our houses, but above all of our hearts. They want yet again to bring Jesus,
his merciful love, his consolation, his peace. We have great need of this! Let
us receive their message! Let us treasure their testimony! The sincere and
steadfast faith of Peter, the great and universal heart of Paul will help us to
be joyful Christians, faithful to the Gospel and open to the encounter with
everyone.
During the Holy Mass in
St Peter’s Basilica this morning, I blessed the Pallia of the Metropolitan
Archbishops appointed this past year, who have come from various countries. I
renew my greeting and my prayerful good wishes to them, to their relatives and
to those who have accompanied them on this pilgrimage; and I encourage them to
continue with joy their mission in service to the Gospel, in communion with the
whole Church and especially with the See of Peter, as expressed by the very
symbol of the Pallium. In the same celebration, with joy and affection I
welcomed the Members of the Delegation who have come to Rome on behalf of the
Ecumenical Patriarch, my dearest Brother Bartholomew. This presence, too, is a
sign of the fraternal bonds existing between our Churches. Let us pray that the
bonds of communion and common witness may be strengthened ever more.
To the Virgin Mary, Salus
Populi Romani, let us entrust today the entire world, and in particular the
City of Rome, that it might always find in its spiritual and moral wealth and
values the foundation of its civil life and of its mission in Italy, in Europe,
and in the world.
After the
Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters,
last evening, in Istanbul, a brutal terrorist attack was carried out, killing
and injuring many people. Let us pray for the victims, for the families and for
the dear people of Turkey. May the Lord convert the hearts of violent people
and support our steps on the path of peace. Let us all pray in silence.
[A moment of silence]
Hail Mary....
Recently concluded in Rome was
the International Conference on impact investing, entitled: “Making the Year of
Mercy a Year of Impact for the Poor”. May both private and public investments
enable many marginalized people to overcome poverty.
I address a cordial greeting
to all of you, families, parish groups, associations and individual faithful
from Italy and from many parts of the world, particularly from Spain, Ukraine
and China. I greet Catholic-school students from London and from the United
States of America, as well as Sisters of the USMI from Lombardy.
Today my greeting goes above
all to the faithful of Rome, on the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul, Patrons of the
City! For this occasion the Pro Loco of Rome has sponsored the
traditional Infiorata, created by various artists and Civil Service
volunteers. Thank you for this initiative and for the beautiful floral
decorations! I also wish to acknowledge the fireworks display that took place
last evening in Piazza del Popolo, the proceeds of which will go to support
works of charity in the Holy Land and in countries of the Middle East.
I wish you all a happy feast
day, the Feast of the Patron Saints of Rome. Please, do not forget to pray for
me. Enjoy your lunch!Arrivederci!
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