On the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Saturday during which he blessed and presented the new Archbishops with the Pallium, the distinctive ornament of the Metropolitans. In preparation for the 2025 Jubilee, Francis particularly invited us to focus on the image of the door, exhorting the new Archbishops to work “towards building a Church and a society with open doors.”
Stanislas Kambashi, SJ – Cité du Vatican
42 new metropolitan archbishops from five continents received the Pallium from the hands of Pope Francis, as is tradition on June 29 each year on the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. In his homily, the Holy Father invited us to look at the two Apostles and be inspired by their story. In proposing to meditate on the doors that open in the history of Peter and Paul, the Holy Father particularly focused on the image of the door, six months before the opening of the Jubilee year.
God opens the doors before us and always goes before us
In the first reading, the Pope noted, the story of Peter’s liberation from prison contains many images that recall the experience of the Jewish Passover, and therefore of Israel’s liberation from slavery. Peter’s liberation is therefore a new exodus, because God liberates his Church, his chained people, by showing himself again “as the God of mercy who sustains his march“. After the miraculous opening of the prison door, the iron gate leading to the city opens of itself before Peter and the Angel. While the Gospel of this solemnity tells us that the keys of the Kingdom were entrusted to Peter by Jesus, the apostle experiences the Lord who opens the doors first. It is God who opens the way and always precedes us, Francis affirmed.
Doors open to the Apostle Paul to announce the Gospel
In his journey, the Apostle Paul also had the Easter experience, the Pope continued. His meeting with the Risen One on the road to Damascus transformed him. Continual contemplation of Christ crucified made him discover the grace of weakness, but also of the strength of Christ who lives in him. The Apostle of the Gentiles, however, did not live “an intimate and consoling religiosity“, as some communities want to present to us today “a living room spirituality”, regretted François. Rather, the encounter with the Lord kindled in his life a zeal for evangelization, as he himself recognized at the end of his life. “To tell how the Lord gave him so many opportunities to proclaim the Gospel – notes François – Paul uses the image of open doors“When he arrived in Antioch with Barnabas, he recounted how God had opened the door of faith to the nations. Before the community of Corinth, he expressed his joy at the fact that a door had been opened wide to his activity. To the Colossians, he asked for prayers that God might open a door to their word and to proclaim the mystery of Christ.
Preparing for the Jubilee by opening the doors of our hearts
Starting from the experience of grace that the two Apostles Peter and Paul had, the Holy Father stressed that they “touched the work of God, which opened the doors of their inner prison, as well as the real prisons where they were locked up because of the Gospel“. He also opened the doors of evangelization before them, leading them to experience the joy of announcing to the brothers and sisters of the emerging communities, to whom they brought the hope of the Gospel. But some communities still do not learn this wisdom of opening the doors, the Holy Father once again regretted.
In communion with the successor of Peter
Speaking about the Metropolitan Archbishops appointed during the last year, to whom he was to present the Pallium, the Pope recalled the communion with the successor of Peter. “Following the example of Christ, the door of the sheep, they are called to be zealous pastors who open the doors of the Gospel and who, through their ministry, contribute to the building of a Church and a society with open doors», indicated François.
The Holy Father concluded his homily by greeting the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. “Thank you for coming to manifest the common desire for full communion between our Churches“, declared Francis, before addressing a cordial greeting to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, whom he thanked on Friday, upon receiving this delegation, for his invitation to celebrate together the 1700th anniversary of the first ecumenical council, that of Nicaea, next year.
