Vatican City, Jun 29, 2019 / 05:25 am
Pope Francis said Saturday that Saints Peter and Paul are both witnesses to the transformative power of God's forgiveness through which all Christians can experience a new beginning of peace and joy.
"Only when we experience God's forgiveness do we truly experience rebirth. From there we start over, from forgiveness; there we rediscover who we really are: in the confession of our sins," Pope Francis said in his homily for the feast of Saints Peter and Paul June 29.
"Peter denied the Lord, while Paul persecuted the Church of God," Francis said. "Jesus called them by name and changed their lives."
Pope Francis said that the Lord's forgiveness was the secret that enabled Saints Peter and Paul to persevere in their mission despite their weaknesses.