Dear brothers and sisters, good afternoon!

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the Patrons of Rome. This feast recalls the original bond that unites the Church in Rome with all the other Churches throughout the world in a communion of faith and charity.

The witness of these two Apostles is like a seal upon the New Testament. The blood they shed in this city reveals the depth of God’s love that the Lord Jesus has given us. Yes, it is by their word and their martyrdom that the Gospel of Christ has, so to speak, taken root in Rome, revealing right here, in the capital of the empire, its power to renew through a new knowledge of God and of the infinite dignity of every human being, a new understanding of power — not as dominion, but as service to human life.

Even today, the Lord, who died and rose again out of love, makes himself present through his witnesses, reaching the centers and the peripheries, the capitals and the most remote regions, through the voices, faces and courageous choices of those who have responded to his call to “Follow me!”  Thus, this day of celebration draws us into the mission of Peter and Paul, that is, into the mission of Jesus himself.  God places his trust in us, imperfect but forgiven sinners, so that his grace may shine through our lives, and his power that transforms evil into good may be revealed.

Dear friends, perhaps Peter and Paul could not have been more different from one another.  They differed in background, upbringing and character, not only before but also after they were called, for the one Lord did not make them the same.  Peter and Paul understood and proclaimed the Gospel, each with his own distinctive voice; and the Holy Spirit, in inspiring the biblical authors, did not want their differences to be hidden.  Indeed, these differences are presented to us as good news.  Within the College of the Apostles, Peter and Paul were not adversaries.  On the contrary, in a sense they became the symbol of the many other diversities that the one Spirit unites into a single whole.  In this way, the patron saints of the Church of Rome experienced the challenges of communion; they knew it, served it, and proclaimed it as a sacrament of divine life.  Their witness has contributed decisively to ensuring that the Christian presence in history is directed not toward dominion, but toward service, unity and reconciliation.

May the Lord, through the intercession of Saints Peter and Paul, grant us the grace to appreciate ever more deeply the catholicity of the Church, to recognize its value in fostering fraternal encounter among individuals and peoples, to avoid whatever erodes or harms communion, to persevere on the ecumenical path and in attentive and honest dialogue with all.

May Mary, Queen of the Apostles, always protect the People of God, in Rome and throughout the world.

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After the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters,

On this day when the Peter’s Pence collection is held, I profoundly thank all those who, through their gifts, support my ministry as the Successor of Saint Peter.  Let us continue to walk together in faith and communion.

As we celebrate the feast of our Patron Saints, I extend my good wishes to the people of Rome and to all who live in this city.  I offer a special thought, accompanied by prayer, to the sick, the lonely and those in prison.  I thank the parish priests and all the priests, as well as the men and women religious working in Rome, for through their presence and daily service they keep the city’s great Christian heart beating.

I greet the volunteers from the Pro Loco associations of Italy who created the flower displays in the Via della Conciliazione and Piazza Pio XII.  Thank you and congratulations!  I also thank the organizers of the “Girandola di Castel Sant’Angelo,” which this year will be dedicated to Saint Francis and his Canticle of the Creatures.  I am also pleased to welcome two confraternities: the Spanish confraternity of Nuestra Señora del Carmen del Camino de Zamora, and the Confraternity of the Agonizzanti of Artena.

I greet the homeless people who are in Saint Peter’s Square today to distribute “L’Osservatore di strada,” a supplement to “L’Osservatore Romano.”  Thank you and good wishes to those who keep this newspaper going!

I wish everyone a happy feast day!