(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 02.18.2026).- On Wednesday, February 18, the Holy Father received in audience the members of the Association Pro Petri Sede in one of the smaller halls of the Paul VI Hall. Pro Petri Sede is present in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. It is an association that supports, both financially and through prayer, the work of the Successor of the Apostle Peter.
The organization has its origins in the nineteenth century. Between 1860 and 1870, many young men from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg went to Rome and, at the request of Pope Pius IX (1846–1878), served in the (ultimately unsuccessful) defense of the Papal States. Because they wore a uniform similar to that of a unit of the French Army in Algeria, they were known as the “Papal Zouaves.” Upon returning to their home countries after the “Fall of Rome” in 1870, they decided to continue supporting the Holy Father in a different way and, to that end, founded the association Pro Petri Sede on November 6, 1870.
Below is the English translation of the Pope’s address:
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Peace be with you!
Brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!
I am pleased to meet you, dear members of the Pro Petri Sede Association, on the occasion of your pilgrimage to Rome. I know that you come regularly to meet the Successor of Peter – every three years, I believe – in order to express to him your attachment and your fidelity, publicly and symbolically manifesting the meaning of your charism: to support the Apostolic See, as the very name of your Association indicates. In fact, you are distant heirs of the papal Zouaves, who committed themselves unconditionally, even to the point of giving their lives, to defend the freedom of the Roman pontiff, threatened at the time. The socio-historic conditions have obviously changed, and today there is no longer any question of fighting with weapons or exercising any kind of violence. Moreover, did not my blessed predecessor Pius IX himself refuse to allow blood to be shed before the walls of Rome? A prophetic gesture that the real battle is of a different nature…
Your unconditional commitment to the Pope is expressed today mainly through your prayers, your efforts to explain to the faithful the role and action of the Holy See, and your material offerings, especially in favour of the least fortunate. I thank you most sincerely! I am very touched that this year you have chosen to support a charitable project in my beloved former diocese of Chiclayo. The creation of a centre of formation for those most in need will be of great benefit and will allow me, despite the distance, to remain close to all these people in my thoughts and charity. I thank you again from the bottom of my heart, and I also thank you on behalf of the Bishop of Chiclayo, His Excellency Monsignor Edinson Farfán.
Dear friends, I ask you to persevere in your important mission of supporting the Apostolic See, a mission that remains as meaningful today as ever, and even to extend it, if possible. Indeed, the Bishop of Rome has received from Christ the task of gathering the faithful people into unity and proclaiming the Gospel of Salvation throughout the earth; and the charism of his Successors implies the sovereign freedom to do so. Yet the proclamation of the Kingdom is hindered in many places throughout the world, and in many ways. How important it is, therefore, in the troubled times in which we live, that ‘Peter’ retain his complete freedom to speak the truth, denounce injustice, defend the rights of the weakest, promote peace, and above all proclaim Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, the only possible hope for a reconcilated humanity.
I thank you once again for your prayers. They are of great importance for the Church; they are also a great comfort for me in the exercise of my office.
As I entrust you, all the members of your association, without forgetting your families, to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and to the protection of the Apostle Peter, I gladly impart to you the Apostolic Blessing.
Thank you.
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