The Holy Father said that “in the end, according to the quo vadis tradition, he tries to flee when faced with martyrdom but meets Jesus on the road and regains the courage to turn back.”
“This is all in Peter: the strength of the rock, the reliability of the stone, and the littleness of a simple pebble,” Pope Francis said.
Peter “is not superman,” he said, adding that “he is a man like us, like every one of us who says ‘yes’ generously to Jesus in his imperfection.”
God is the one who strengthens Peter, Paul, and all the saints with his grace and mercy, Pope Francis said.
“And it is with this true humanity that the Spirit forms the Church. Peter and Paul were real people. And today, more than ever, we need real people,” he said.
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Pope Francis then challenged the crowd to reflect on their own lives.
“From the rock: Is there ardor, zeal, passion for the Lord and for the Gospel in us? Or is there something that easily crumbles? And then, are we stones, not stumbling blocks, but the kind with which the Church can be constructed?”
“Do we work for unity, are we interested in others, especially in the weakest?” he asked.
“Finally, thinking of the pebble: Are we aware of our littleness? And above all, in our weakness, do we entrust ourselves to the Lord, who accomplishes great things through those who are humble and sincere?”
Pope Francis then called upon Mary under her title Queen of Apostles to “help us imitate the strength, the generosity, and the humility of Sts. Peter and Paul.”
Following the Angelus, Pope Francis announced greetings to the Pro Loco Association of Rome, which organized a flower festival, some of which were displayed in St. Peter’s Square.
He also called for continued prayer for the people of Ukraine, “who are in my heart every day.”
Pope Francis also recognized the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which he said “participated in today’s celebration,” adding that “I send an embrace to my dear brother, His Holiness Bartholomew.”
Before concluding, he sent greetings to all pilgrims present, some of whom came from places across the globe such as Brazil, Mexico, Nicaragua, Poland, and the U.S.
Joseph Bukuras is a staff writer at the Catholic News Agency. Joe holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from The Catholic University of America. He has interned in the U.S. House of Representatives, on a U.S. Senate campaign, in the Massachusetts State House of Representatives, and at the Susan B. Anthony List. He is based out of the Boston area