Vatican City, Jun 29, 2011 / 14:54 pm
In his pre-Angelus remarks on the June 29 Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Benedict XVI gave his special greetings to an Eastern Orthodox delegation visiting Rome, and spoke about the importance of St. Peter's primacy among the Apostles.
“Witnessing the love and faithfulness of Saints Peter and Paul enlightens the pastors of the Church on how to lead men towards the truth, and educate them in the faith in Christ,” the Pope told pilgrims in St. Peter's Square on the feast day. He emphasized that St. Peter, in particular, “represents the unity of the apostolic college” which ensures the oneness of Christ's Church.
The Pope, who is marking his 60th year as a priest on the feast day, indicated that St. Peter's primacy among the apostles was no mere human tradition. Rather, he noted, “Peter's primacy is divine preference,” like the priestly vocation itself.
Pope Benedict cited the writings of St. Irenaeus of Lyon, a second-century bishop and theologian, who famously held that the Roman Church “must be the point of convergence of all other Churches, because it has always guarded the tradition that comes from the Apostles.”