“Saints have a past and sinners have a future.” Chinese Catholics celebrate Saints Peter and Paul, Patrons of the Church of Rome

Beijing (Fides News Agency) – An opportunity to pray that their faith may be as steadfast as that of St. Peter, firmly built upon the rock, and, like that of St. Paul, dynamic and fervent, always ready to proclaim the Gospel with zeal. With these prayers and desires, Catholic communities across mainland China celebrated the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, Martyrs and Patrons of the Church of Rome, on June 29, in communion with the universal Church and with the Successor of Peter, Pope Leo XIV.

In their homilies, bishops and priests recalled the deep bond linking the history of the Church in China with the lives of Peter and Paul, who bore witness to Christ amid persecution and suffering, even to the point of martyrdom.

According to information gathered by Fides News Agency, Bishop Peter Liu Genzhu of the Diocese of Linfen, in Shanxi Province, reminded the faithful gathered for the Eucharistic celebration that "the two holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, were ordinary men of flesh and blood. They too experienced human weakness: Peter denied the Lord, while Paul persecuted Christ in His Church. They became the pillars of the Church's faith not because they were perfect, but because of Christ's call and grace. Their witness reminds every Christian that saints have a past and sinners have a future. The lives of these two Apostles invite us to live out the mission and responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel within the concrete vocation each of us has received, thus contributing to the building up of Christ's Church."
The Bishop presided over the liturgy marking the feast of the Patrons of Rome in the so-called "Square Church," noting with gratitude that the celebration also coincided with his name day.

The Diocese of Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province, marked the solemnity with the diaconal ordination of five seminarians. In the Diocese of Wenzhou, whose cathedral is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, the patronal feast was celebrated with liturgies during which nine catechumens received the Sacraments of Christian Initiation—Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist—while another 17 faithful received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

In the Holy Trinity Parish in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, the faithful gathered despite the sweltering heat to celebrate the two martyr Apostles with solemn liturgies. Parish priest Fr. Pang Rui reflected on the day's Scripture readings, explaining the significance of Peter's name and Paul's vocation. He also imparted a special blessing on parishioners who have Saints Peter and Paul as their patron saints, encouraging all the faithful to follow their example by embracing with generosity and perseverance the mission of proclaiming the Gospel. (Fides News Agency, 1/7/2026)

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