Pallium tradition holds important meaning for church, pope says

Published: 2004-06-30

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The ancient tradition of conferring the pallium to new archbishops of metropolitan sees holds important meaning for the church, Pope John Paul II said at his weekly general audience. Every year on June 29 -- the feast of Rome's patron saints, Peter and Paul -- the pope bestows a white, woolen stole to metropolitan archbishops named during the past year. The pallium, made of wool shorn from the lambs blessed by the pope on Jan. 21, the feast of St. Agnes, symbolizes the archbishops' authority and unity with the pope. The pope said at the June 30 general audience that this fundamental principle of communion helps unite church leaders from all over the world. "It shows that in order to be one the church needs the particular service of the church of Rome and its bishop," the pope said. The rite for bestowing the pallium also highlights "the catholicity" or universality of the church, "which was called by Christ to spread the Gospel to all nations and to serve the entire world," he said.

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