Weekly Reflection on receiving the pallium

I was deeply honoured to receive a pallium from Pope Leo XIV this week, during the annual Mass for Saints Peter & Paul, the patron saints of the city of Rome. The pallium is a symbol of my ministry as Archbishop, and it was very moving to receive it personally from the pope. Wearing it will be a tangible reminder of the ministry he has entrusted to me of being a good shepherd who builds up the Church’s unity in communion with the successor of Peter. I was particularly pleased that my family was able to participate in the ceremony, along with a number of priests, bishops and lay people from Brisbane and other parts of Australia.

During his homily, Pope Leo reflected on the keys that are the symbols of Peter’s office as a sign of the ministry of building up communion: ‘A key does not break down doors; rather, it opens and closes them by finding the proper levers within and guiding their movements, so that locks may release, bolts withdraw, and doors turn freely on their hinges, thereby joining rooms together and transforming many isolated spaces into one welcoming home.’ Wearing the pallium will encourage me to continue this ministry of nurturing communion in the Church with patience, respect and care, so that all may find a home as part of God’s people.