Pope, Sts. Peter and Paul: “Make diversity a laboratory of unity”

Leo XIV celebrated Mass in St. Peter's at 10:30 a.m. The pallium was conferred on 54 metropolitan bishops, seven from Asia: ‘In the unity of the Catholic faith, may each one nourish it in the local Churches.’ The homily on ecclesial communion and the vitality of faith: ‘Do not fall into habit, into ritualism.’ At the Angelus: ‘Let weapons be silent, let us work for peace.’

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - 29 June, solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. It is a day of celebration in Rome, as the city's patron saints are honoured with historical events such as the infiorata and the Girandola di Castel Sant'Angelo.

The 10:30 a.m. Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, presided over by Pope Leo XIV, was preceded by yesterday's evening prayer vigil. The story of Peter and Paul ‘speaks closely to us, the community of the Lord's disciples on pilgrimage in our time,’ said Prevost. Unity is one of the themes accompanying the day.

The pontiff recalled this in his homily: ‘Let us commit ourselves to making our differences a laboratory of unity and communion, of fraternity and reconciliation.’ And at the Angelus: ‘There is [...] an ecumenism of blood, an invisible and profound unity between the Christian Churches.’

The celebration was accompanied by the presentation of the pallium - a white woolen stole symbolising the union between the universal Church and the local Church - to 54 metropolitan bishops. This rite was restored by Pope Leo XIV: his predecessor Francis limited himself to blessing them during today's liturgy.

‘This sign, while recalling the pastoral task entrusted to you, expresses communion with the Bishop of Rome, so that in the unity of the Catholic faith, each of you may nourish it in the local Churches entrusted to you,’ said Prevost.

Among the metropolitans, seven were from Asia: Monsignor Fransiskus Nipa (Makassar, Indonesia); Monsignor Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana (Bangkok, Thailand); Monsignor John Rodrigues (Bombay, India); Monsignor Udumala Bala Showreddy (Visakhapatnam, India); Monsignor Varghese Chakkalakal (Calicut, India); Monsignor Midyphil Bermejo Billones (Jaro, Philippines); Monsignor Joseph Đặng Đức Ngân (Huê, Vietnam).

In his homily, Pope Leo XIV focused on two aspects inspired by the testimony of the two saints: ecclesial communion and the vitality of faith. On the first point, Prevost recalled that Peter and Paul ‘were called to live a single destiny, that of martyrdom, which definitively associated them with Christ.’ But this is not a ‘peaceful conquest.’

The saints arrived there ‘after a long journey, in which each embraced the faith and lived the apostolate in a different way.’ ‘The story of Peter and Paul teaches us that the communion to which the Lord calls us is a harmony of voices and faces and does not cancel out the freedom of each person,’ said the pontiff.

This teaching leads us to question ecclesial communion: “It arises from the impulse of the Spirit, unites diversity and creates bridges of unity in variety”. A “fraternity” that is greatly needed. “It is needed by pastoral life, ecumenical dialogue and the relationship of friendship that the Church wishes to maintain with the world”, he added.

On the vitality of our faith, Pope Leo XIV said that in the experience of ‘discipleship’ there is a risk of ‘falling into habit, ritualism, and repetitive pastoral patterns.’ The story of Peter and Paul, on the other hand, can help us to ‘open ourselves to change,’ to ‘seek new paths for evangelisation starting from the problems and questions posed by our brothers and sisters in faith.’

He continued: ‘As Pope Francis has often warned us, it is important to avoid the risk of a tired and static faith.’ The exercise of discernment comes to our aid. ‘It allows our faith and the Church to be continually renewed and to experience new ways and new practices for proclaiming the Gospel,’ said the Bishop of Rome.

At the end of his homily, Pope Francis greeted the members of the Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church: ‘Thank you for your presence here and for your pastoral zeal. May the Lord grant peace to your people!’

An appeal for peace was also shared after the recitation of the Marian prayer of the Angelus, which took place as usual at noon from the window of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. ‘Let us continue to pray that weapons may fall silent everywhere and that peace may be achieved through dialogue,’ said the Pope.

He also recalled the tragedy at the Barthélémy Boganda High School in Bangui, Central African Republic, where 29 teenagers lost their lives in an explosion. ‘May the Lord comfort the families and the entire community!’ he said.