Pope Benedict XVI gives thanks for annual Peter’s Pence donation

(09 Mar 2007) : The Circle of St. Peter, a group that supervises the Peter’s Pence collection in Rome each year, met with Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday in the Vatican. In his remarks to the group, the Pope observed that the Peter’s Pence collection-- taken up worldwide to support the Holy See-- is the product of a long tradition in the Church. Even during our times the Church continues to proclaim the Gospel and cooperate in building a more brotherly humanity, and it is thanks to Peter's Pence that it can accomplish this mission of evangelization and human promotion," the Pope explained.

The funds are collected in churches all across the world, and then “brought to the heart of the Church to be redistributed according to necessity, and to the requests that reach the Pope from all over the world.” St. Peter's Circle was founded in Rome by Father Domenico Jacobini and journalist Paolo Mencacci in April 1869. It arose in response to the anti-clerical climate and social crises of the time. Today, in addition to Peter's Pence, the group assists homeless mothers of children at a paediatric hospital, distributes warm meals to the needy, so-called pope's soup, and provides hospice services to those suffering from terminal illnesses.