“Today, as the feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul approaches, I ask you to pray for the Pope. Pray in a special way. The Pope needs your prayers. Thank you, I know you will.”
It is with these words that Pope Francis addressed the crowd after the Angelus of June 27, two days before the feast of Peter and Paul, from the window of the Apostolic Palace. Every Sunday, the pontiff has the habit of entrusting himself to the faithful, ending his traditional address by asking Christians not to “forget” to pray for him.
However, the pontiff’s request was this time more solemn and he made it before his other appeals.
Earlier this month, in a video message to a group dedicated to the work for Christian unity, the Holy Father made his customary appeal that we pray for him, but he added, “because this work is not easy at all!”
The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, pillars of the Roman Church, will be celebrated in Saint Peter’s Basilica on June 29. Traditionally, the new metropolitans come on this occasion to receive the pallium from the hands of the Pontiff.
And today we celebrate...