Peter’s Pence Collection Helps the Pope Cast the Peace of Christ Upon the World

WASHINGTON—The Peter’s Pence Collection will be taken up in most Catholic parishes the weekend of June 25-26. This year’s theme, “Cast the peace of Christ upon the world,” focuses on the relationship between solidarity and peace.

The theme draws inspiration from the Gospel of John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” and from Pope Benedict XVI’s beginning-of-year message where he said, that “it is necessary above all that every person be motivated by the authentic spirit of peace, to be implored ever anew in prayer and to be lived in daily relations in every environment” (Homily, Vatican Basilica, January 1, 2011).

The Peter’s Pence Collection gives Catholics in the United States a chance to unite in solidarity with the Holy Father and the faithful worldwide. The pope uses the collection’s proceeds to provide emergency assistance and aid to the most disadvantaged around
the world.

Through this worldwide collection the pope is able to exercise the ministry of charity on behalf of the entire Church. Offerings to the collection support church needs, humanitarian initiatives (such as aid of victims of war, oppression and natural disasters) and other human promotion projects around the world. It also assists seminaries and institutes of Christian formation in many developing countries. The pope is able to do these things thanks to the generosity of U.S. parishioners and Catholics from around the world.

More information about Peter’s Pence and other national collections can be found at http://www.usccb.org/about/national-collections/.
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Keywords: Peter’s Pence, charity, National Collections, Pope Benedict XVI, USCCB