THE 9TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CORONATION OF HIS HOLINESSHOMILY OF POPE PAUL VIThe solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and PaulThursday, June 29, 1972At sunset on Thursday, 29 June, solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, in the presence of a considerable number of faithful from all over the world, the Pope Celebrates mass and the start of its 10th year of pontificate, as the successor of Saint Peter.With the Dean of the Sacred College, Cardinal Amleto Giovanni Cicognani and Subdean Cardinal Luigi Traglia are thirty Curia, Cardinals, and shepherds of dioceses, today present in Rome.Two gentlemen Cardinals per order, go in procession to the altar, the Holy Father.To the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, with the substitute of the Secretariat of State, Archbishop Giovanni Benelli, and the Secretary of the Council for public affairs of the Church, Archbishop Agostino Casaroli.We give an account of the Homily of his Holiness.The Holy Father began claiming to have a very much alive thanks to those brothers and Sons, are present in the Basilica and to those who, far away, but they help to spiritually associate, sacred ritual, which, at the commemorative intent of the Apostle Peter, to whom is dedicated the St. Peter’s Basilica, privileged custodian of his grave and of his relics, and the Apostle Paul, he joined in the drawing and in Apostolic worship, joins another intention, to commemorate the anniversary of his election to succeed in the Pastoral Ministry of the fisherman Simon, son of Jonah, by Christ called Peter, and thus in the function of the Bishop of Rome, the pontiff of the universal Church and of visible and humble servant Vicar on Earth of Christ the Lord. Thank you very much for the presence of so many of the faithful shows love to Christ himself under the banner of his poor person, and assures their loyalty and therefore of indulgence towards him, not that of their regard for him consoling to help him with their prayers.THE CHURCH OF JESUS, THE CHURCH OF PETERPaul goes on to say that they do not want to speak, in his brief speech, he, San Pietro, for too long would and maybe unnecessary for those who already know the wonderful history; Neither himself, whose already too speak the press and radio, which also expresses his gratitude due. If you would rather speak of the Church, which at that time and from that Forum seems to appear before his eyes as expanse in its vast and complicated panorama, merely repeat a word of the same Apostle Peter, as called by him the immense Catholic community; He, in his first letter, collecting in the Canon of the writings of the New Testament. This beautiful message, addressed from Rome to the early Christians of Asia minor, on the part of Jewish origin, partly Pagan, as if to prove since then the universality of the Apostolic Ministry of Peter’s character has a considerably, i.e. exhortatory, but does not lack of doctrinal teachings, and the word that the Pope mentions is precisely that, to the extent that the recent Council made Treasury for one of his characteristic teachings. Paul invites you to listen as uttered by Saint Peter himself for those to whom at that time he addressed.After recalling the story of the exodus in which he tells how God spoke to Moses before him, said, “I’ll do this people, a people of priests and Royal”, Paul VI States that St. Peter took this word so exhilarating, so great and has applied to the new people of God, heir and continuator of Biblical Israel to form a new Israel, the Israel of Christ. Says St. Peter: Will priestly and kingly people who glorify the God of mercy, God of salvation.This word, observes the Holy Father has been misunderstood by some, as if the priesthood was an order only, and that is to be communicated to those who are incorporated into Christ’s Mystical Body, to those who are Christians. This is true with regard to what is referred to as common priesthood, but the Council tells us, and the tradition they had already taught, that there is another level of the priesthood, the ministerial priesthood which faculties, special prerogatives and exclusive.But what matters is the Royal priesthood and the Pope focuses on the meaning of this expression. Priesthood means ability to make worship to God, to communicate with him, offer him worthily something in his honor, to discuss with him, to look for it again in a new depth in a new discovery in a new love. This momentum of humanity to God, who has never quite achieved, nor enough known, is the who’s posted the only priest who is Christ, after the inauguration of the New Testament. Who is Christian is for this (cont)
