Imitate St. Peter’s sincerity and docility, Pope tells pilgrims

August 31, 2026

Reflecting on the Sunday Gospel reading (Matthew 16:21-27), in which St. Peter rebuked Jesus, Pope Leo XIV said that “it is not always easy to understand and accept God’s ways, especially when they are very far from our own.”

“Then the temptation arises—against all the reasoning of faith—to think that the Lord is the one who is wrong, or worse still, that he is not listening to us or is not concerned about us,” Pope Leo told area residents and pilgrims gathered in Castel Gandolfo for his August 30 Angelus address (video).

The Pope continued:

Faced with this uncertainty, Peter, even in his impulsiveness, teaches us two important things.

The first is, even in such moments, never to cease our dialogue with the Lord. Instead, we are confidently to tell him our difficulty in understanding what he is asking of us. The second is never to judge God’s work, but rather humbly and prayerfully to listen to what he is revealing to us through his actions, even when they do not meet our expectations.

“May Mary help us, for she was obedient to God’s plans even at the foot of the cross of her Son Jesus,” Pope Leo concluded.

The Pope then recited, in Latin, the Angelus, the Minor Doxology (three times), and the prayer for the faithful departed, before imparting his blessing.

 

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Further information:

• Angelus (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 8/30/26)
• Pope at Angelus: Even when confused like Peter, dialogue with the Lord (Vatican News, 8/30/26)