On February 18, 2026, during an audience granted to members of Pro Petri Sede, an association dedicated to supporting the pontiff spiritually and financially, Leo XIV encouraged them to defend Peter's Successor. In his speech, read in French, he called for help in preserving the pope's freedom so that he can “speak the truth, denounce injustice, defend the rights of the weakest, promote peace, and above all proclaim Jesus Christ.”
Addressing members of "Pro Petri Sede," an association dedicated to supporting the Pontiff, the Holy Father emphasized the relevance of their mission today.
“I ask you to persevere in your important mission of supporting the Apostolic See,” the pontiff urged during this meeting on the sidelines of the general audience on Wednesday at the Vatican. “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,” he said.
Historical roots with present-day relevance
For Leo XIV, defending the pontiff's freedom is a mission “remains as meaningful today as ever.” “The proclamation of the Kingdom is hindered in many places throughout the world, and in many ways,” Leo XIV noted. The 267th pope then emphasized the need, “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 American-Peruvian pontiff compared the members of this Benelux association to the papal “Zouaves,” of whom they are “distant heirs.” These volunteers, mostly French-speaking, enlisted in the military to defend the Papal States and Pope Pius IX when they were under threat in the 1860s.
The Zouaves had committed themselves “unconditionally, even to the point of giving their lives, to defend the freedom of the Roman pontiff, threatened at the time,” the pope recalled. “Today there is no longer any question of fighting with weapons or exercising any kind of violence,” Leo XIV continued. “The real battle is of a different nature…”
Leo XIV’s gratitude
Peter's successor thanked the members present for their prayers, which are “a great comfort” in ”the exercise of [his] office." He also expressed his gratitude for their financial support for the pope's social works. Leo XIV said he was “very touched” that the association had chosen to support a charity in the diocese of Chiclayo, where he was bishop from 2015 to 2023.
The Pro Petri Sede association is present in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. It has three missions: to pray for the pope, to provide information about the Holy See, and to support it financially. Its members travel to the Vatican every two years to deliver to the Holy See the donations collected during the previous years.
