Pope Leo Bestows Pallia on Archbishops Worldwide, Including Three Indian Prelates

Vatican City, June 29, 2025: Pope Leo bestowed Pallia on the new 54 Metropolitan Archbishops, including three from India on the Solemnity of the Patron Saints of the Diocese and City of Rome. Pope Leo in his homily, invited the faithful to contemplate the two Apostles though different in their gifts and approaches, they lived “a fruitful harmony in diversity.”

At the heart of Sunday’s Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul in St. Peter’s Basilica was the conferral of the pallium — a woollen band symbolising unity with the Bishop of Rome and pastoral commitment to the flock. Pope Leo placed the pallia on 54 new Metropolitan Archbishops from around the world, including three bishops from India, whose participation highlighted the Indian Church’s significance on the global stage.

The pallium, derived from the Latin for mantle or cloak, rests on an Archbishop’s shoulders, recalling Christ the Good Shepherd who carries His sheep. It signifies communion with the Pope and the authority Metropolitans exercise within their provinces in union with the Roman Church.

In his homily, Pope Leo hailed Peter and Paul as “pillars of the Church,” praising their readiness to sacrifice their lives for the Gospel. “Peter and Paul were both ready to lay down their lives for the sake of the Gospel,” he declared.

Although they followed different paths, Pope Leo stressed that “their brotherhood in the Spirit did not erase their different backgrounds.” Peter, a Galilean fisherman, preached mainly to the Jews, while Paul, once a Pharisee and a persecutor of Christians, became Apostle to the gentiles after a profound encounter with the risen Christ.

“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,” Pope Leo said. Despite occasional disagreements “with evangelical frankness,” the Apostles lived the concordia apostolorum — a “living communion in the Spirit, a fruitful harmony in diversity.”

Citing Saint Augustine, he added: “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.”

The Pope called on Catholics to transform differences into “a workshop of unity and communion,” and spoke of the “vitality of our faith,” cautioning against spiritual routine and urging new zeal for evangelisation.

Echoing Jesus’ question, “But who do you say that I am?”, Pope urged believers to keep their faith vibrant and alive.

He also called Rome to be “a sign of unity and communion,” and extended greetings to the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s delegation and the Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

After Mass, Cardinals Stephen Brislin and Robert Walter McElroy concelebrated as deacons retrieved the pallia from the Confession of Saint Peter. Pope Leo personally placed each pallium on Archbishops from nations as diverse as the United States, Peru, India, Papua New Guinea, Guam, and New Caledonia — underlining the pallium’s significance as a bond of unity in the universal Church.

Courtesy: Vatican News