Vatican
City, 29 June 2013 (VIS) – Following the Holy Mass celebrated in
St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his
study to pray the Angelus on Sunday with the faithful gathered in St.
Peter’s Square, and recalled that the solemnity of Sts. Peter and
Paul was a special feast for the Church of Rome, founded on the
martyrdom of both apostles, and also for the Universal Church, “since
all the People of God owe to them the gift of faith”.
While
Peter “was the first to confess that Jesus is Christ, the Son of
God, Paul spread this news throughout the Greek-Roman world. And
Providence wished that both of them might reach Rome and there shed
blood for the faith. The Church of Rome therefore became,
spontaneously, the point of reference for all Churches around the
world. Not for the power of the Empire, but for the strength of
martyrdom and witness to Christ! In the end, it is always and only
the love of Christ that generates faith and sustains the Church along
her way”.
The
Holy Father remarked that when Peter confessed his faith in Jesus,
“he did not do so because of His human capacities, but rather
because he had been moved by the grace Jesus emanated, by the love he
felt in His words and saw in His gestures”. And the same happened
to Paul when, as a young man and enemy of Christians, he was called
upon by the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus and transformed by
his vision: “He understood that Jesus was not dead, but alive, and
loved even he who was His enemy. It was this experience of mercy, of
God's forgiveness through Jesus Christ: this is the Good News, the
Gospel the Peter and Paul experienced themselves and for which they
gave their lives. Mercy, forgiveness! The Lord always forgives, the
Lord has mercy, is merciful, has a merciful heart and awaits us
always … what joy it is to believe in a God Who is all love, all
grace! This is the faith that Peter and Paul received from Christ and
which they have transmitted to the Church”.
Pope
Francis also spoke of the apostle Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
who shared with him his experience of faith in Jesus, and who had
indeed encountered Him first. “I like to remember him also because
today, in accordance with a beautiful tradition, Rome receives the
delegation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, whose patron is
indeed the apostle Andrew”. The Pope went on to invite those
present to pray together a Hail Mary for Patriarch Bartholomaios I,
and to pray also for the metropolitan archbishops of the various
Churches who received the Pallium this morning.
After
the Marian prayer, the Pope greeted the pilgrims who had gathered to
celebrate with the metropolitan archbishops: “I pray for their
communities, and in particular I encourage the central African
people, sorely tested at this time, to continue on their path with
faith and hope”.
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