Dear brothers and sisters!
Listening today to the word of God and celebrating the Eucharist in St Peter’s Basilica, we are always aware that we are in an extraordinary place. The Roman church, named after the Galilean Fisherman whom Christ chose and established as the rock of the Church, rises on the tomb of the Apostle Simon Peter. He came to the capital of a once powerful and pagan empire, and here he gave the supreme testimony of blood to the One who called him. Since then, for almost two thousand years, the Church in Rome has been presiding in charity over the entire Church, which gathers the disciples of the crucified and risen Lord in different parts of the world, speaking different languages but professing one faith and living one hope.
Reaching back to the roots of Christ’s Church, we are also aware that today we pray in the close proximity of service and everyday life of the Peter of our time – the Holy Father Francis. We accompany him with our prayers that he may continue to proclaim tirelessly the Gospel of love and peace in our troubled world.
We are also aware that in this extraordinary temple rest the mortal remains of Saint Pope John Paul II, patron of the Foundation, which is bearing his name for forty years, who introduced the universal Church into the third millennium of the Christian faith. And, although seventeen years have passed since his departure to the Father’s house, he still speaks to the minds and hearts of millions of the faithful on all continents. He speaks with a word and an example of life and service. It speaks with the holiness to which we are all called.
Vatican City, St. Peter’s Basilica, September 25, 2022
