The woolen stoles designated for the newly appointed metropolitan archbishops throughout the world laid above the tomb of St. Peter on the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul before receiving a papal blessing.
Pope Francis presided over the liturgy of the word in during pallium Mass celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica for the feast of Rome's patron saints.
In his homily, the Pope stressed that the Church must make an effort to open its doors to all, saints and sinners alike.
POPE FRANCIS
Let us not forget this word: everyone. Everyone. Go to the crossroads and bring everyone, blind, deaf, lame, sick, righteous, sinners. Everyone, everyone. This word of the Lord must resound, resound in the mind and the heart. Everyone. In the Church there is a place for everyone.
The Pope also told the archbishops to not seek pursue building antiquated versions of the Church, but to keep moving forward.
POPE FRANCIS
The temptations to stay still are great. The temptation of nostalgia makes us look at other times as better. Please, do not fall into “backwardness,” this backwardness of the Church that today is in style.
On that note, Pope Francis also underscored that the upcoming Synod of Bishops is an opportunity for the Church to not turn in on itself, but go out to meet the world.
After the Mass, the Pope greeted a representative from the official delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, who came to Rome for the feast of the city’s patron saints.
He than gave out the blessed stoles to the metropolitan archbishops nominated over the last year gathered, while in high spirits.
JM
