As the Church gets ready to celebrate the feast of St. Peter and Paul on Saturday, June 29, Pope Francis prayed for their intercession for those populations that are suffering from conflicts, during the general audience on June 26, 2024.
“To their intercession we entrust the populations that are suffering from war, the martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, that they may soon find peace again," the Pope said, while encouraging the faithful to “be missionary disciples after their example, witnessing the beauty of the Gospel everywhere.”
During last year’s feast day Pope Francis had also underlined the importance of praying for peace, while praising the flower carpet arrangements that had been made on St. Peter’s Square as part of a florist festival.
“I am looking at [some of the displays] from here… There are some beautiful carpets of flowers inspired by peace, and this tells us not to tire of praying for peace, especially for the Ukrainian people, who are in my heart every day.”
Sts. Peter and Paul are the patron saints of Rome, and so the feast day is a holiday in the Vatican and in Rome. Pope Francis will be celebrating Mass on Saturday morning, where he will bless the pallia of the newly nominated metropolitan archbishops. He will then recite the Angelus prayer at noon.
