The pope made the remarks in an address Feb. 18 to members of Pro Petri Sede (“For the See of Peter”), an association that supports the work of the pope and the Holy See through prayer and financial assistance.
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.
Those volunteers “committed themselves unconditionally, even to the point of giving their lives, to defend the freedom of the Roman pontiff, threatened at the time,” the pope said.
Leo stressed that “the socio-historic conditions have obviously changed,” adding that “today there is no longer any question of fighting with weapons or exercising any kind of violence.”
Instead, he said, the association’s commitment is expressed through prayer, helping the faithful understand the role and action of the Holy See, and material support, “especially in favor of the least fortunate.”
Leo highlighted the group’s 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.
Reflecting on the pope’s mission, Leo said: “The 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.”
He added that “the proclamation of the kingdom is hindered in many places throughout the world, and in many ways,” underscoring the importance of the pope’s freedom to carry out his mission.
“How important it is, therefore, in the troubled times in which we live, that ‘Peter’ 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,” he said.