On the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV greeted pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer and reflected on Christian unity, conversion, and the witness of martyrdom that binds the Church in a deep and often hidden communion.
The Pope began by recalling the roots of the Church of Rome, founded on the testimony and blood of the Apostles Peter and Paul. He honoured their enduring legacy, linking it to the ongoing sacrifice of Christians around the world who suffer, and even die, for their faith in Christ.
“We can speak of an ecumenism of blood,” the Pope said, describing a unity forged not through theological agreements alone, but through the shared suffering of believers across confessional lines.
“This unseen yet profound unity among Christian Churches that are not yet in full and visible communion,” he added, is at the heart of his episcopal mission. “The Church of Rome,” he reaffirmed, “is committed by the blood shed by Saints Peter and Paul to serving in love the communion of all Churches.”
Jesus is the true rock
Reflecting on the Gospel and the foundational role of Peter, the Pope pointed to Jesus as the true rock: “He is the rock rejected by the builders, whom God made the cornerstone.”
He observed how the grandeur of the Papal Basilicas of Peter and Paul, now central to Christian identity, once stood at the margins of society. “Outside the Walls,” he said, using the traditional Roman expression, is where their witness began, a reminder that Gospel greatness often begins in places the world deems insignificant.
Pope Leo warned that those who follow Christ walk a difficult path, the path of the Beatitudes. He noted that poverty of spirit, meekness, and a thirst for justice are often met with opposition. Yet, it is precisely along this path that God’s glory is revealed. “God’s glory shines forth in his friends and continues to shape them along the way, passing from conversion to conversion.”
Sainthood is born of forgiveness
He explained that sainthood is not born of perfection, but of forgiveness. “The New Testament does not conceal the errors, conflicts and sins of those whom we venerate as the greatest Apostles,” the Pope said, adding that “their greatness was shaped by forgiveness.”
Just as Christ reached out to Peter and Paul time and again, he continues to call each person, not once, but repeatedly. “That is why we can always hope. The Jubilee is itself a reminder of this,” he said.
Concluding, the Pope called the faithful to become artisans of unity, beginning within families and local communities. “Unity in the Church and among the Churches is fostered by forgiveness and mutual trust,” he said, “If Jesus can trust us, we can certainly trust one another in his name.”
Finally, he prayed to the Virgin Mary and the Apostles Peter and Paul, with a call for the Church to be “a home and school of communion” in a world still marked by wounds and division.
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