At the Angelus, Pope Francis speaks of how the two apostles were "liberated" to "proclaim the Gospel in difficult and in some cases hostile environments." "Especially in times of trial, God tends a hand to us, comes to our aid, and frees us from enemy threats." Greeting to the faithful from Indonesia and Qatar. The greeting to the new cardinals, the major archbishops who received the pallium, and the delegation of the ecumenical patriarchate of Constantinople.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The apostles Peter and Paul, whose solemnity is celebrated today in Rome, show the path in the lives of the apostles: "their faith, confessed and announced, was then crowned with the supreme test of martyrdom" .
In his reflection before the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis wanted to remember the two dimensions of the life of the Christian and the apostle: to announce the faith, to experience martyrdom.
Referring to the readings of the day (Acts 12, 1-11 and 2 Timothy 4, 6-8.17-18), Francis points out that both speak of "liberation": Peter was released from prison, "saved miraculously, so He could complete his evangelizing mission, first in the Holy Land and then in Rome, putting all his energy at the service of the Christian community. "
"Paul also experienced hostility from which he was freed by the Lord. Sent by the Risen Lord to many cities to the pagan peoples, he met strong resistance by both from fellow believers and civil authorities. "
"These two" deliverances "of Peter and Paul reveal the common path of the two Apostles, who were sent by Jesus to proclaim the Gospel in difficult and in some cases hostile environments.
Both, with their personal and ecclesial events, show and tell us today that the Lord is always at our side, walking with us, never leaving us. Especially in times of trial, God tends a hand to us, comes to our aid, and frees us from enemy threats. But let us remember that our true enemy is sin, and the Evil One that drives us to it. When we reconcile ourselves with God, especially in the Sacrament of Penance, receiving the grace of forgiveness, we are freed from the bonds of evil and lightened from the burden of our mistakes. So we can continue our journey of joyful announcers and witnesses of the Gospel, demonstrating that we first received mercy. "
After the Marian prayer, Francesco greeted several groups of pilgrims including representatives of Indonesia and Qatar. He recalled that he celebrated the Eucharist this morning in the square with the five cardinals created in the Consistory of yesterday, including the new cardinal of Laos, Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun, apostolic vicar of Paksé. The pope has also blessed the palliums of metropolitan archbishops appointed in the last year, coming from several countries, including Vietnam. "I renew," said the pontiff, "my greeting and wishes to them and to those who have accompanied them on this pilgrimage. I encourage them to continue their mission with joy in the service of the Gospel, in communion with the whole Church. "
Francis also addressed the members of the delegation who came to Rome to attend the feast of the two patrons "on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarch, my dear Brother Bartholomew. This presence is also a sign of the fraternal ties between our Churches. "
The pope also offered a special greeting to all the faithful in Rome, today in celebration for the two patrons.