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BENEDICT XVI: NEWS, PAPAL TEXTS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTARY

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MASS ON THE SOLEMNITY
OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL
The Pope confers the pallium
on 38 new metropolitan archbishops




Cover illustration: 'What I do have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ' (Acts 3,6) - Peter to a lame man he healed outside the Temple of Jerusalem. Fresco by Federico Zuccari, 1584, Cappella Paolina, Vatican Apostolic Palace. Frieze below: Details from 'Crucifixion of Peter' and 'Conversion of Paul', Michelangelo, 1550, Cappella Paolina.




At 9:30 Tuesday morning, Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, the Holy Father Benedict XVI presided at the concelebration of the Eucharist with 38 metropolitan archbishops named in the past 12 months.




During the Mass, the Holy Father conferred on each archbishop a pallium as a sign of their episcopal function. The palliums were kept overnight on the tomb of St. Peter below the main altar of the basilica.

As has become traditional on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople was present, this year, composed of His Eminence Gennadios Limouris, Metropolitan of Sassima; H. E. Bartholamaios (Ioannis Kessidis), Bishop of Arianzos, and assistant to the Orthodox metropolitan of Germany; and the Rev. Deacon Theodoros Maimaris, from Fanar, the Patriarchal seat.

Here is Vatican Radio's translation of the Holy Father's homily, delivered before the blessing and imposition of the palliums.

Dear brothers and sisters!

In their great wealth, the biblical texts of this Eucharistic Liturgy of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul highlight a theme that could be summarized thus: God is close to his faithful servants and frees them from all evil, as he frees the Church from negative powers. It is the theme of the freedom of the Church, which has a historical aspect and another more deeply spiritual one.

This theme runs through today's Liturgy of the Word. The first and second readings speak, respectively, of St Peter and St Paul, emphasizing precisely the liberating action of God in them.

Especially the text from the Acts of the Apostles describes in abundant detail the intervention of the Angel of the Lord, who releases Peter from his chains and leads him outside the prison in Jerusalem, where he had been locked up, under close supervision, by King Herod (cf. at 12.1 to 11).

Paul, however, writing to Timothy when he feels close to the end of his earthly life, takes stock which shows that the Lord was always near him and freed him from many dangers and frees him still by introducing him into His eternal Kingdom ( see 2 Tim 4, 6-8.17-18).

The theme is reinforced by the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 33), and also finds a particular development in the Gospel of Peter's confession, where Christ promises that the powers of hell shall not prevail against his Church (cf. Mt 16:18).

Observing closely we note a certain progression regarding this issue. In the first reading a specific episode is narrated that shows the Lord's intervention to free Peter from prison. In the second Paul, on the basis of his extraordinary apostolic experience, is convinced that the Lord, who already freed him "from the mouth of the lion "delivers him" from all evil, by opening the doors of Heaven to him.

In the Gospel, we no longer speak of the individual Apostles, but the Church as a whole and its safekeeping from the forces of evil, in the widest and most profound sense.

Thus we see that the promise of Jesus - "the powers of hell shall not prevail" against the Church – includes the historical experience of persecution suffered by Peter and Paul and other witnesses of the Gospel, but it goes further, wanting to protect especially against threats of a spiritual order, as Paul himself writes in his Letter to the Ephesians: "For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens"(Eph 6:12).

Indeed, if we think of the two millennia of Church history, we can see that - as the Lord Jesus had announced (cf. Mt 10.16-33) – Christians have never been lacking in trials, which in some periods and places have assumed the character of real persecution.

These, however, despite the suffering they cause, are not the greatest danger for the Church. In fact it suffers greatest damage from what pollutes the Christian faith and life of its members and its communities, eroding the integrity of the Mystical Body, weakening its ability to prophesy and witness, tarnishing the beauty of its face.

This reality is already attested in the Pauline Epistle. The First Epistle to the Corinthians, for example, responds to some problems of divisions, inconsistencies, of infidelity to the Gospel which seriously threaten the Church.

But the Second Letter to Timothy – of which we heard an excerpt - speaks about the dangers of the "last days", identifying them with negative attitudes that belong to the world and can infect the Christian community: selfishness, vanity, pride, love of money, etc. (cf. 3.1 to 5).

The Apostle’s conclusion is reassuring: men who do wrong - he writes - "will not make further progress, for their foolishness will be plain to all"(3.9). There is therefore a guarantee of freedom promised by God to the Church: it is freedom from the material bonds that seek to prevent or coerce mission, both through spiritual and moral evils, which may affect its authenticity and credibility.

The theme of the freedom of the Church, guaranteed by Christ to Peter, also has a specific relevance to the rite of the imposition of the pallium, which we renew today for thirty-eight metropolitan archbishops, to whom I address my most cordial greeting, extending with it affection to all who have wanted to accompany them on this pilgrimage.

Communion with Peter and his successors, in fact, is the guarantee of freedom for the Church's Pastors and the Communities entrusted to them. It is highlighted on both levels in the aforementioned reflections.

Historically, union with the Apostolic See, ensures the particular Churches and Episcopal Conferences freedom with respect to local, national or supranational powers, that can sometimes hinder the mission of the ecclesial Church.

Furthermore, and most essentially, the Petrine ministry is a guarantee of freedom in the sense of full adherence to truth and authentic tradition, so that the People of God may be preserved from mistakes concerning faith and morals.

Hence the fact that each year the new Metropolitans come to Rome to receive the pallium from the hands of the Pope, must be understood in its proper meaning, as a gesture of communion, and the issue of freedom of the Church gives us a particularly important key for interpretation.

This is evident in the case of churches marked by persecution, or subject to political interference or other hardships. But this is no less relevant in the case of communities that suffer the influence of misleading doctrines or ideological tendencies and practices contrary to the Gospel.

Thus the pallium becomes, in this sense, a pledge of freedom, similar to the "yoke" of Jesus, that He invites us to take up, each on their shoulders (Mt 11:29-30). While it is demanding, the commandment of Christ is "sweet and light" and instead of weighing down on the bearer, it lifts him up. Thus the bond with the Apostolic See – while challenging – sustains the Pastor and the portion of the Church entrusted to his care, making them freer and stronger.

I would like to draw a final point from the Word of God, in particular from Christ's promise that the powers of hell shall not prevail against his Church.

These words may also have a significant ecumenical value, since, as I mentioned earlier, one of the typical effects of the Devil is division within the Church community. The divisions are in fact symptoms of the power of sin, which continues to act in members of the Church even after redemption.

But the word of Christ is clear: "Non praevalebunt – the gates of Hell will not prevail" (Matt. 16:18). The unity of the Church is rooted in its union with Christ, and the cause of full Christian unity - always to be sought and renewed from generation to generation - is well supported by his prayer and his promise.

In the fight against the spirit of evil, God has given us in Jesus the 'Advocate', defender, and after his Easter, "another Paraclete" (Jn 14:16), the Holy Spirit, which remains with us always and leads the Church into the fullness of truth (cf. Jn 14:16; 16:13), which is also the fullness of charity and unity.

With these feelings of confident hope, I am pleased to greet the delegation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which, in the beautiful custom of reciprocal visits, participates in the celebrations of the patron saints of Rome.

Together we thank God for progress in ecumenical relations between Catholics and Orthodox, and we renew our commitment to generously reciprocate to God's grace, which leads us to full communion.

Dear friends, I cordially greet all of you: Cardinals, Brother Bishops, Ambassadors and civil authorities, in particular the Mayor of Rome, priests, religious and lay faithful. Thank you for your presence.

May the Saints Peter and Paul help you to grow in love for the holy Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, the Lord and messenger of unity and peace for all men. May they also help you to offer the hardships and sufferings endured for fidelity to the Gospel with joy for her holiness and her mission.

May the Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles and Mother of the Church, always watch over you and especially over the Ministry of metropolitan archbishops. With her heavenly help may you always live and act in that freedom that Christ has won for us. Amen.





NB: Before they are conferred with the pallium, each new Archbishop pronounces this oath:

I will always be faithful and obedient to the Apostle Peter; to the Holy, Apostolic Church of Rome; and to you, Supreme Pontiff, and your legitimate successors. May Almighty God so help me!


Judging by the behavior of many bishops, they either do not remember that they ever made this oath or have chosen to openly defy it. Among the most offensive in this respect are some Italian bishops!

Meanwhile, the Holy Father's message to the ministers of the Church that they may live up to the holiness demanded of them by their vocation has been not just consistent but increasingly forceful.

His repetition today of his statement on his way to Fatima was even more explcit. Speaking of external perscutions, he said:


These, however, despite the suffering they cause, are not the greatest danger for the Church. In fact it suffers greatest damage from what pollutes the Christian faith and life of its members and its communities, eroding the integrity of the Mystical Body, weakening its ability to prophesy and witness, tarnishing the beauty of its face.


But there is also what he said today about the Petrine ministry:

Communion with Peter and his successors, in fact, is the guarantee of freedom for the Church's Pastors and the Communities entrusted to them.... Furthermore, and most essentially, the Petrine ministry is a guarantee of freedom in the sense of full adherence to truth and authentic tradition, so that the People of God may be preserved from mistakes concerning faith and morals.


The Pope is, first and foremost, the guardian and defender of the faith, and so, he cannot allow any dilution, much less reversal, of the deposit of faith, of Tradition handed down over two millennia through apostolic succession.


NB: Salvatore Izzo of AGI says that the Vatican will be formally announcing tomorrow, June 30, the appointments of Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Montreal and Mons. Kurt Koch of Basel to succeed the retiring Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re and Walter Kasper, respectively, as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and as President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Perhaps the Motu Proprio creating the new Pontifical Council for new evangelization will also be released.



Not to forget...
59 YEARS AGO



... Georg and Joseph Ratzinger were ordained as priests in the Cathedral of Freising, and would celebrate their first Mass in Traunstein one week later.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 29/06/2012 15:40]
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