Each year the Holy Father accepts the collections made by the «Pro Petri Sede» Association of those countries, as well as from journalists’ «Etrennes Pontificales» (Papal Gift) campaign.
In his brief address today, delivered in French, the Holy Father thanked the donors for their generosity and explained that this aid allows the Church «to continue, in its communities and in the world, its spiritual and material action in favor of all, primarily, in favor of the poorest of our brethren, so that their dignity will be more respected everywhere.»
The Pope described these donations as a gesture of «communion,» which characterizes the Catholic Church «and which is expressed in the openness of each Church to other Churches, around the See of Peter, guarantor of the unity and communion of them all.»
Belgian Catholic journalists have been offering this sign of communion with the popes since the time of Leo XIII.
