The Peter’s Pence, as a donation to the Successor of Peter, took on a stable form in the seventh century with the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons in connection with the feast of the Apostle St. Peter to whom Jesus entrusted His Church. It then grew during subsequent centuries, with the adherence of other European peoples to Christianity, always as a contribution of gratitude and devotion to the Pope, as an expression of the unity of the Church, and of ecclesial co-responsibility.
Today, the proceeds of the Peter’s Pence Collection are primarily used to help victims of disasters and the Pope’s charitable programs to help the poor, the homeless, and those in need. In 2024, the Diocese of Columbus contributed $53,749.86. I thank you on behalf of our Most Rev. Bishop Earl K. Fernandes for your generous help to the Pope’s charitable fund.
To help the Pope, countries around the world organized financial support for the Holy See and revived the Peter’s Pence Collection. God delighted to His children who show mercy to their fellow men even if we do the smallest deeds of kindness toward the needy, homeless, orphans, widows, and poor. Your gifts and prayers will be a great blessing for the poorest of the poor who benefit from this outreach of funds. Trust in God’s promises and know that no gift will go unrewarded! Remember, “God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7).”
The collection has both a symbolic and a practical value to it. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God (CCC 1822).” In other words, the love of neighbor is inseparable from the love of God. It can be compared to both sides of a coin.
As we know, God is the author of life and He is residing in our soul. He asks us to listen to the cry of others. When we extend our hands and heart to the needy then we wipe the tears of many who endure hardships in life. The missionary spirit makes a difference in their lives by accomplishing evangelization, discipleship, building a church, housing and many other activities for the needy.
The perfect example of a missionary disciple of Jesus is Mary, our heavenly Mother. She is inviting us every single hour of the day to be witnesses for Christ by loving and helping our fellow men. Pope Paul VI, in his letter on devotion to Mary, tells us: “The Virgin Mary has always been proposed to the faithful by the Church as an example to be imitated, not precisely in the type of life she led, and much less for the socio-cultural background in which she lived and which today scarcely exists anywhere. She is worthy of imitation because she was the first and most perfect of Christ’s disciples” (Marialis Cultus,1974).
The Pope, being Pastor of the whole Church, is attentive to the material needs of poor dioceses and of the faithful in grave difficulties. Let us give generously to help sustain the Church’s work of mercy as Christ mandated to his followers. More than one billion people worldwide have no access to clean drinking water, two billion have no access to electricity, and billions live without proper sanitation. St. Paul, in his missionary journey at Ephesus and on his farewell speech encouraging us to share what we have with other fellowmen, said: “I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You know well that these very hands have served my needs and my companions. In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts: 20: 33:35).
Thank you for your sacrificial response and for all you do for the mission work of the Church. Together, let us ask God to bless the Holy Father and us, as well as those in need throughout the world. Our contribution, of whatever size, is important. Many members of our family around the world are less fortunate than we are. Let us join with our Holy Father, Pope Leo the XIV to be missionaries by loving others, sharing generously, and following Jesus each day.