One in Christ / Daniel Conway
Two brothers of faith show us the different paths to unity
(En Espanol)
In his homily for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29, Pope Leo XIV called attention to two specific aspects of the faith of these two Apostles: ecclesial communion and the vitality of faith.
“Today we celebrate two brothers in faith, Peter and Paul, whom we honor as pillars of the Church and venerate as patrons of the diocese and city of Rome,” the Holy Father said. “The story of these two Apostles has much to say to us, the community of the Lord’s disciples, as we make our pilgrim way in today’s world.”
Ecclesial communion (unity) is essential to our Church’s mission. As Pope Leo reminded us, “Peter and Paul were both ready to lay down their lives for the sake of the Gospel.” They were one in their devotion to the Lord and in their zeal for proclaiming the Gospel.
But the Holy Father pointed out that “this communion of the two Apostles in the one confession of faith was the conclusion of a long journey on which each embraced the faith and lived out his apostolate in his own particular way. Their brotherhood in the Spirit did not erase their different backgrounds.”
We know from the Scriptures that these two great men “were at odds over the proper way to deal with gentile converts, so much so that Paul tells us that, ‘when [Peter] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned’ ” (Gal 2:11). Their opposing views came to a head at the Council of Jerusalem where the two Apostles debated the issue once more. In the end, their dispute was resolved by the intervention of the Holy Spirit.
Pope Leo insisted that disagreements do not have to destroy the fundamental unity that binds us together as sisters and brothers in Christ:
Dear friends, the history of Peter and Paul shows us that the communion to which the Lord calls us is a unison of voices and personalities that does not eliminate anyone’s freedom. Our patron saints followed different paths, had different ideas and at times argued with one another with evangelical frankness. Yet this did not prevent them from living the concordia apostolorum, that is, a living communion in the Spirit, a fruitful harmony in diversity. As St. Augustine remarks, “the feast of the two Apostles is celebrated on one day. They too were one. For although they were martyred on different days, they were one” (Serm. 295, 7.7).
“A fruitful harmony in diversity” is not easy to achieve, especially among people who have passionate feelings and strong opinions. That is why it is so important for all of us to engage in attentive listening, respectful dialogue and prayerful discernment.
“All this invites us to reflect on the nature of ecclesial communion,” Pope Leo said. “Awakened by the inspiration of the Spirit, it unites differences and builds bridges of unity thanks to the rich variety of charisms, gifts and ministries.”
The second specific aspect that the Holy Father ascribed to Saints Peter and Paul is their “vitality of faith.” In an admonition reminiscent of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium,” Pope Leo said:
In our life as disciples, we can always risk falling into a rut, a routine, a tendency to follow the same old pastoral plans without experiencing interior renewal and a willingness to respond to new challenges. The two Apostles, however, can inspire us by the example of their openness to change, to new events, encounters and concrete situations in the life of their communities, and by their readiness to consider new approaches to evangelization in response to the problems and difficulties raised by our brothers and sisters in the faith.
Openness to change is, perhaps, the most difficult thing for committed Christians, and the past 2,000 years of Christian history powerfully illustrate this difficulty.
“If we want to keep our identity as Christians from being reduced to a relic of the past,” Pope Leo said, recalling the frequent admonitions of Pope Francis, “it is important to move beyond a tired and stagnant faith.”
Ecclesial communion (unity in diversity) and vitality of faith (interior renewal) are necessary for pastoral revitalization. Pope Leo urges all of us, but especially the metropolitan archbishops who received the pallium from him on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, to emulate these pillars of the Church.
(Daniel Conway is a member of The Criterion’s editorial committee.) †