The pontiff said he must be free to denounce injustice amid today\u2019s challenges.<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV said the successor of Peter must retain \u201ccomplete freedom to speak the truth, denounce injustice, defend the rights of the weakest, promote peace,\u201d and proclaim Jesus Christ amid \u201cthe troubled times in which we live.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pope made the remarks in an address Feb. 18 to members of Pro Petri Sede (\u201cFor the See of Peter\u201d), an association that supports the work of the pope and the Holy See through prayer and financial assistance.<\/p>\n
Leo recalled that the association traces its roots to the papal Zouaves, a 19th-century corps of Catholic volunteers who defended the Papal States against efforts to invade Rome.<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV, on Wednesday, met with the Pro Petri Sede Association\u2014spiritual heirs of the Papal Zouaves, young Catholic volunteers who once defended Pope Pius IX and the Papal States. Today, the Pope said, there is no question of weapons or violence: the Church\u2019s defense is\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/7GjsZy8ihe<\/p>\n
Those volunteers \u201ccommitted themselves unconditionally, even to the point of giving their lives, to defend the freedom of the Roman pontiff, threatened at the time,\u201d the pope said.<\/p>\n
Leo stressed that \u201cthe socio-historic conditions have obviously changed,\u201d adding that \u201ctoday there is no longer any question of fighting with weapons or exercising any kind of violence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead, he said, the association\u2019s commitment is expressed through prayer, helping the faithful understand the role and action of the Holy See, and material support, \u201cespecially in favor of the least fortunate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo highlighted the group\u2019s decision this year to support a charitable project in Chiclayo, his former diocese in Peru, where the association is helping fund the creation of a training center for people most in need.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the pope\u2019s mission, Leo said: \u201cThe bishop of Rome has received from Christ the task of gathering the faithful people into unity and proclaiming the Gospel of salvation throughout the earth; and the charism of his successors implies the sovereign freedom to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that \u201cthe proclamation of the kingdom is hindered in many places throughout the world, and in many ways,\u201d underscoring the importance of the pope\u2019s freedom to carry out his mission.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow important it is, therefore, in the troubled times in which we live, that \u2018Peter\u2019 retain his complete freedom to speak the truth, denounce injustice, defend the rights of the weakest, promote peace, and above all proclaim Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, the only possible hope for a reconciliated humanity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Acest articol a fost publicat ini\u021bial de ACI Prensa, serviciul de limb\u0103 spaniol\u0103 al EWTN News. Ea a fost tradus\u0103 \u0219i adaptat\u0103 de EWTN News English.<\/p>\n