On this Solemnity of Sts. Peter & Paul Pope Leo XIV imposes the pallium on the new Archbishops including Archbishop James Checchio of New Orleans

 

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Pope invites new Archbishops to be 'Good Shepherds' on Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

During the Mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV invites the faithful to be inspired by the two Patrons of Rome who, despite their flaws, became extraordinary witnesses to the Gospel. He also invites the new Metropolitan Archbishops receiving their pallium to imitate the Lord and be Good Shepherds to the faithful entrusted to them.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"It is important for us today to look to these two Saints—Peter and Paul—to understand how we, in turn, can be apostles and builders of unity, and generous servants of the truth in charity."

Pope Leo XIV offered this reminder during the Mass he celebrated Monday morning for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Patrons of Rome, in St. Peter's Basilica.

READ POPE LEO XIV'S FULL HOMILY

During the Mass, there was the traditional blessing and imposition of the pallium for the new Metropolitan Archbishops.

Imposition of the pallium (@Vatican Media)

Two pillars of the Church

In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on the patron saints of the city and Diocese of Rome, recalling that Peter was chosen by Jesus as shepherd of His flock, while Paul was chosen as Apostle to the Gentiles. "In them," he said, "we venerate two pillars of the Church."

Turning first to Peter, the Pope recalled that the first Pope fostered unity and communion even in times of division and turmoil.

Peter was not perfect

This magnanimity, however, Pope Leo observed, "does not mean that Peter is perfect."

Indeed, the Pope recalled that during the Passion, Peter denied the Master, only later shedding sincere tears of repentance. Paul himself, in different circumstances, rebuked Peter for the inconsistency of some of his actions.

"Yet Peter," Pope Leo said, "knows how to acknowledge his mistakes and repent, without becoming discouraged and without failing in his mission to proclaim the Gospel and gather Christ's flock, even unto martyrdom—a fate which he suffered here in Rome, not far from where we are gathered."

Peter, the Pope suggested, ultimately embraced the mission entrusted to him by the Lord: "to listen, with His help, to the voice of each person; to discern inspirations; to guide the way; to correct errors; to instruct, encourage, exhort and accompany our brothers and sisters so that, docile to the action of the same Spirit, they may cooperate in the salvation of one another and of all humanity."

Peter's example, he said, "is an invitation to every Christian to become a builder of unity, placing God at the center of one's life and drawing close to one's brothers and sisters, attentive to their circumstances and needs," so that "we learn to live with one another in charity, so that the message might be fully proclaimed."

Statue of St. Peter in St. Peter's Basilica (@Vatican Media)

God won over the heart of young Saul

"This," Pope Leo continued, "is also the teaching of Paul, the other great apostle we celebrate today and the tireless herald of the Good News."

God, the Pope said, accomplished something wonderful in the heart of the young Saul, winning him over, bringing him first to conversion to the Gospel and giving him a new name, and then sending him to proclaim it throughout the world.

Like Peter, the Holy Father recalled, Paul bore witness to the Gospel even to the point of giving his life in this very city.

"The Apostle to the Gentiles," he said, "allowed himself to be transformed by the power of God's word, which rescued him from the way of violence and led him onto the path of love."

Pope Leo recalled that Saint Augustine, commenting on Paul's conversion and mission, observed that "God took the persecutor of the Church and made him a messenger of peace," forgiving all his sins and placing him in a ministry where he could forgive the sins of others.

New Archbishops entrusted with lambs of the Lord's flock

Looking to these Saints, Pope Leo suggested, can teach us how to promote unity and serve the truth in charity.

The Pope recalled that, in this spirit, they were about to celebrate the ancient and moving rite of the conferral of the pallia on the Metropolitan Archbishops.

"These bands of white wool adorned with crosses indeed express the commitment of every shepherd—and also of every Christian—to take upon their shoulders the brothers and sisters entrusted to them, like so many lambs of the Lord's flock, and to sacrifice their energy, time, effort and even their lives for them."

Pope Leo noted that at the heart of this selflessness is the desire that "the Gospel may reach everyone, and the whole world may find in it harmony and concord."

The Pope also said that, with these sentiments, he joyfully extended cordial greetings to the members of the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople present.

May Sts. Peter and Paul sustain us on our journey in the Savior's footsteps

Finally, the Holy Father invited, "Let us pray to Saints Peter and Paul that they may sustain us on our journey of communion in the footsteps of the Savior."

This, Pope Leo concluded, is the path "that the Lord has laid out for us, the very thing for which He prayed to the Father at the Last Supper, and the goal toward which He has taught us to aspire with confident hope."

The Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul

 

Ordinary Time: June 29th

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

Today the Church universally celebrates the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles (d. 64-67). This is a holyday of obligation in some countries. For 2025, the Solemnity supersedes the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, following the "Table of Liturgical Days According to Their Order of Precedence" in the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar: Solemnities inscribed in the General Calendar, whether of the Lord, of the Blessed Virgin Mary or of Saints are higher (3) than Sundays of the Christmas season and Sundays in Ordinary Time (6).

Veneration of the two great Apostles, Saints Peter and Paul, has its roots in the very foundations of the Church. They are the solid rock on which the Church is built, the origin of her faith and will forever remain her protectors and her guides. To them Rome owes her true greatness, for it was under God's providential guidance that they were led to make the capital of the Empire, sanctified by their martyrdom, the center of the Christian world whence should radiate the preaching of the Gospel.

St. Peter suffered martyrdom under Nero, in A.D. 66 or 67. He was buried on the hill of the Vatican where recent excavations have revealed his tomb on the very site of the Basilica of St. Peter's. St. Paul was beheaded in the Via Ostia on the spot where now stands the basilica bearing his name. Down the centuries Christian people in their thousands have gone on pilgrimage to the tombs of these Apostles. In the second and third centuries the Roman Church already stood pre-eminent by reason of her apostolicity, the infallible truth of her teaching and her two great figures, Sts. Peter and Paul.

A partial indulgence may be gained today by anyone who makes devout use of a religious article blessed by any priest but "if the article of devotion has been blessed by the Sovereign Pontiff or by any Bishop, the faithful, using it, can also gain a plenary indulgence, provided they also make a profession of faith (e.g. the Apostles Creed), as long as the usual conditions are satisfied.

Peter's original name was Simon. Christ Himself gave him the name Cephas or Peter when they first met and later confirmed it. This name change was meant to show both Peter's rank as leader of the apostles and the outstanding trait of his character — Peter (in Hebrew Kephas) the Rock. Peter was born in Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. Like his younger brother Andrew, he was a fisherman and dwelt at Capernaum. Peter's house often became the scene of miracles, since the Master would stay there whenever He was teaching in that locality. Together with his brothers John and Andrew, Peter belonged to the first of Jesus' disciples (John 1:40-50).

After the miraculous draught of fish on the Sea of Galilee, Peter received his definitive call and left wife, family, and occupation to take his place as leader of the Twelve. Thereafter we find him continually at Jesus' side, whether it be as spokesman of the apostolic college (John 6:68; Matt. 16:16), or as one specially favored (e.g., at the restoration to life of Jairus' daughter, at the transfiguration, during the agony in the garden). His sanguine temperament often led him into hasty, unpremeditated words and actions; his denial of Jesus during the passion was a salutary lesson. It accentuated a weakness in his character and made him humble.

After the ascension, Peter always took the leading role, exercising the office of chief shepherd that Christ had entrusted to him. He delivered the first sermon on Pentecost and received the first Gentiles into the Church (Cornelius; Acts 10:1). Paul went to Jerusalem "to see Peter." After his miraculous deliverance from prison (Easter, 42 A.D.), Peter "went to a different place," most probably to Rome. Details now become scanty; we hear of his presence at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1), and of his journey to Antioch (Gal. 2:11).

It is certain that Peter labored in Rome as an apostle, that he was the city's first bishop, and that he died there as a martyr, bound to a cross (67 A.D.). According to tradition he also was the first bishop of Antioch. He is the author of two letters, the first Christian encyclicals. His burial place is Christendom's most famous shrine, an edifice around whose dome are inscribed the words: Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam.
—Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patronage: Against frenzy; bakers; bridge builders; butchers; clock makers; cobblers; Exeter College Oxford; feet problems; fever; fishermen; harvesters; locksmiths; longevity; masons; net makers; papacy; Popes; ship builders; shipwrights; shoemakers; stone masons; Universal Church; watch makers; Poznan, Poland; Rome; Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi; Diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada; Diocese of Marquette, Michigan; Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island; Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania. See the full list at CatholicSaints.info.

St. Paul
Paul, known as Saul (his Roman name) before his conversion, was born at Tarsus in the Roman province of Silicia about two or three years after the advent of the Redeemer. He was the son of Jewish parents who belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, was reared according to the strict religious-nationalistic party of the Pharisees and enjoyed the high distinction of Roman citizenship.

As a youth he went to Jerusalem to become immersed in the Law and had as a teacher the celebrated Gamaliel. He acquired skill as a tentmaker, a work he continued even as an apostle. At the time of Jesus' ministry, he no longer was at Jerusalem; neither did he see the Lord during His earthly life. Upon returning to the Holy City, Paul discovered a flourishing Christian community and at once became its bitter opponent. When Stephen impugned Law and temple, Paul was one of the first at his stoning; thereafter his fiery personality would lead the persecution. Breathing threats of slaughter against the disciples of Jesus, he was hurrying to Damascus when the grace of God effected his conversion (about the year 34 A.D.; see January 25, Conversion of St. Paul).

After receiving baptism and making some initial attempts at preaching, Paul withdrew into the Arabian desert (c. 34-37 A.D.), where he prepared himself for his future mission. During this retreat he was favored with special revelations, Christ appearing to him personally. Upon his return to Damascus, he began to preach but was forced to leave when the Jews sought to kill him. Then he went to Jerusalem "to see Peter." Barnabas introduced him to the Christian community, but the hatred of the Jews again obliged him to take secret flight. The following years (38-42 A.D.) he spent at Tarsus until Barnabas brought him to the newly founded Christian community at Antioch, where both worked a year for the cause of Christ; in the year 44 he made another journey to Jerusalem with the money collected for that famine-stricken community.

The first major missionary journey (45-48) began upon his return as he and Barnabas brought the Gospel to Cyprus and Asia Minor (Acts 13-14). The Council of Jerusalem occasioned Paul's reappearance in Jerusalem (50). Spurred on by the decisions of the Council, he began the second missionary journey (51-53), traveling through Asia Minor and then crossing over to Europe and founding churches at Philippi, Thessalonia (his favorite), Berea, Athens, Corinth. He remained almost two years at Corinth, establishing a very flourishing and important community. In 54 he returned to Jerusalem for the fourth time.

Paul's third missionary journey (54-58) took him to Ephesus, where he labored three years with good success; after visiting his European communities, he returned to Jerusalem for a fifth time (Pentecost, 58). There he was seized by the Jews and accused of condemning the Law. After being held as a prisoner for two years at Caesarea, he appealed to Caesar and was sent by sea to Rome (60 A.D.). Shipwrecked and delayed on the island of Malta, he arrived at Rome in the spring of 61 and passed the next two years in easy confinement before being released. The last years of the saint's life were devoted to missionary excursions, probably including Spain, and to revisiting his first foundations. In 66 he returned to Rome, was taken prisoner, and beheaded a year later. His fourteen letters are a precious legacy; they afford a deep insight into a great soul.
—Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patronage: Against snakes; authors; Cursillo movement; evangelists; hailstorms; hospital public relations; journalists; lay people; missionary bishops; musicians; poisonous snakes; public relations personnel; public relations work; publishers; reporters; rope braiders; rope makers; saddle makers; saddlers; snake bites; tent makers; writers; Malta; Rome; Poznan, Poland; newspaper editorial staff, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Diocese of Covington, Kentucky; Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama; Diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada; Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island; Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts. See the full list at CatholicSaints.info.

Prayers and help for the beleaguered people of Venezuela after double earthquakes

 

Rescue workers search for victims in Carabelleda, La Guaira State  (AFP or licensors)

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• Pope Leo XIV
• Venezuela
• appeal
• Angelus

Pope Leo prays for Venezuela as quake death toll rises

Pope Leo XIV expresses his solidarity and calls for prayers for the people of Venezuela, as the death toll from two earthquakes rises sharply.

By Devin Watkins

As he prayed the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV spoke in Spanish to express his closeness to Venezuela, where two massive earthquakes struck in quick succession this week.

He invited everyone to join him in praying for victims and their families, as well as for the work of rescue crews.

“I wish to express my closeness to the Venezuelan sisters and brothers affected by the recent earthquakes that have caused numerous victims and injured, as well as great material damages,” he said. As we pray to the Lord for the eternal repose of the deceased, I renew my spiritual closeness to their families, the injured, and those struck by this tragedy. At the same time, I express my gratitude and support to those who are generously carrying out search and rescue efforts.”

As he concluded the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals on Saturday evening, Pope Leo shared the closeness of all the College of Cardinals with the people of Venezuela.

“We assure our prayers for the victims, their families, and all those suffering the consequences of this tragedy,” he said. “We ask that the solidarity of the international community may not be lacking toward that dear nation.”

Rescue crews working around the clock

Rescue crews have been working tirelessly to dig through the rubble in La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit states.

The death toll rose on Saturday to nearly 1,500 victims, with almost 70,000 people still missing.

On Wednesday, a 7.2- and a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the region.

Pope Leo XIV immediately sent an initial donation of 100,000 euros to assist victims and their families.

The humanitarian aid was sent through the Apostolic Almoner's Office and was coordinated with the Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela, Archbishop Alberto Ortega Martín, and the Archbishop of Caracas, Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo.

Catholic communities and charities across the country have mobilized by opening parish buildings to shelter displaced families and offer emergency assistance through local Caritas networks.

Sunday Angelus Address with Pope Leo XIV 06.28.2026

 

Pope Leo XIV prays the Angelus  (@Vatican Media)

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• Angelus
• Pope Leo XIV
• catechesis
• love

Pope at Angelus: Love involves detachment, loss, hospitality

At the Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV says that true love requires us to be detached, accept loss, and provide hospitality to those in need.

By Devin Watkins

Pope Leo XIV prayed the midday Marian prayer of the Angelus on Sunday with pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square.

Reflecting on the day’s Gospel (Mt 10:37-42), the Pope explored Jesus’ requirements for discipleship and what it means to commit ourselves entirely to a loving relationship with Him.

Love, he said, requires detachment, loss, and hospitality.

Jesus, noted the Pope, gives the example of an adult child who must leave their parents in order to follow Him.

This detachment in our relationships, he said, implies that we can only find fullness in our relationships through the love that Christ gives us.

“Consider married life,” he said. “It can only be lived fully by ‘leaving’ one’s parents’ home, in order to commit to the life of marriage.”

At the same time, parents must raise their children by teaching them to “stand on their own two feet” and find fulfillment and happiness in life.

Pope Leo went on to say that an important aspect of love is loss, even if it is difficult to comprehend in our world that seems obsessed with possessing.

“Love only bears fruit in self-giving,” he said, “when we are willing to lose a little of ourselves to make room for another, to lose a little time to listen to a friend, and to lose a little comfort to share in a time of hardship.”

Jesus also says that we must lose our own life in order to truly find it, which allows us to open ourselves to the joy of love.

Christians, said the Pope, are called to embrace the cross and offer ourselves as Jesus did, so as to receive life in abundance.

“It we live by the logic of the gift of self,” he said, “we too will be capable of bringing forth new life in our relationships.”

Pope Leo XIV then focused on the gift of hospitality, saying it is essential to expressing love.

“Love is expressed through concrete choices and actions, by a commitment made up of small daily gestures, such as offering a glass of water to someone who is thirsty,” he said.

Just as Jesus sent His disciples to preach without provisions, we too must learn to accept and give hospitality to others.

“By welcoming those who come in Jesus’ name, we welcome him and the heavenly Father who sent him,” he concluded. “Indeed, love for the Lord always involves welcoming our brothers and sisters.”

Saint of the Day for Sunday

 

St. Irenaeus

The writings of St. Irenaeus entitle him to a high place among the fathers of the Church, for they not only laid the foundations of Christian theology but, by exposing and refuting the errors of the gnostics, they delivered the Catholic Faith from the real danger of the doctrines of those heretics.

He was probably born about the year 125, in one of those maritime provinces of Asia Minor where the memory of the apostles was still cherished and where Christians were numerous. He was most influenced by St. Polycarp who had known the apostles or their immediate disciples

Many Asian priests and missionaries brought the gospel to the pagan Gauls and founded a local church. To this church of Lyon, Irenaeus came to serve as a priest under its first bishop, St. Pothinus, an oriental like himself. In the year 177, Irenaeus was sent to Rome. This mission explains how it was that he was not called upon to share in the martyrdom of St Pothinus during the terrible persecution in Lyons. When he returned to Lyons it was to occupy the vacant bishopric. By this time, the persecution was over. It was the spread of gnosticism in Gaul, and the ravages it was making among the Christians of his diocese, that inspired him to undertake the task of exposing its errors. He produced a treatise in five books in which he sets forth fully the inner doctrines of the various sects, and afterwards contrasts them with the teaching of the Apostles and the text of the Holy Scripture. His work, written in Greek but quickly translated to Latin, was widely circulated and succeeded in dealing a death-blow to gnosticism. At any rate, from that time onwards, it ceased to offer a serious menace to the Catholic faith.

The date of death of St. Irenaeus is not known, but it is believed to be in the year 202. The bodily remains of St. Irenaeus were buried in a crypt under the altar of what was then called the church of St. John but was later known by the name of St. Irenaeus himself. This tomb or shrine was destroyed by the Calvinists in 1562, and all trace of his relics seems to have perished.

Pope Leo XIV closes out the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals

 

Pope Leo concluded the Extraordinary Consistory   (@Vatican Media)

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• Pope Leo XIV
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Pope closes Consistory, 'an experience of communion at service of mission'

Pope Leo XIV delivers his closing address for the Extraordinary Synod of Cardinals, focusing on hope, synodality, and the Church’s responsibility in a world marked by war and a crisis in human relationships.

By Sebastián Sansón Ferrari

Before offering a concluding reflection of the Extraordinary Consistory held from 26 to 27 June 2026 at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV expressed his closeness, together with the entire College of Cardinals, to the people of Venezuela, “severely struck by the violent earthquake of these days.”

“We assure our prayers for the victims, for their families, and for all those suffering the consequences of this tragedy. We also entrust to the Lord all those involved in rescue operations, and we ask that the solidarity of the international community toward that beloved nation may not falter.,” the Pope added.

From the New Synod Hall on Saturday the 27th, Pope Leo delivered a wide-ranging address in which he began by emphasizing: “We now come to the end of these days with a deep sense of gratitude. I thank you for the freedom, fraternity, and ecclesial spirit with which you took part in our work. I carry with me not only the content of your reflections, but also the experience that made them possible.”

“We have sought together the will of the Lord, convinced that Christ continues to act in his Church: it is He who goes before us, gathers us, speaks through our brothers, and leads us in mission. Everything comes from Him and everything returns to Him,” he continued. For this reason, he said that “seeing Cardinals from such diverse Churches, cultures, and situations listening to one another and seeking together what best serves the Gospel has been for me a source of consolation and hope.”

At the heart of his reflection, the Pope insisted that synodality must not be understood as an organizational method or a sequence of meetings, but as a way of being Church.

The real question of synodality is not who has the power to decide, but 'how do we together safeguard the gift that the Lord has entrusted to his Church?'” he stated.

According to the Pope, this journey is born of encounter, grows through mutual listening, and matures through discernment guided by the Holy Spirit. He therefore asked the cardinals to promote the implementation of the synodal process in their particular Churches, fostering an authentic understanding of it.

The wounds of the world

Pope Leo also noted that during the Consistory the cardinals shared their concern for the wars, poverty, injustices, and violence affecting many peoples around the world. However, he said that behind these tragedies lies an even deeper crisis: "loneliness, the crisis of relationships, the loss of hope, and the difficulty of recognizing one another as brothers and sisters."

The Pope particularly highlighted the situation of young people, whose search for meaning and authenticity—and, in some cases, suffering that even leads to taking one’s own life—represents "one of the deepest wounds of our time."

A moment during the closing of the Consistory (@Vatican Media)

He also underlined the importance of the family as a school of relationships, solidarity, and hope. In this context, he announced a meeting in October with the leaders of the Eastern Churches and the presidents of episcopal conferences to evaluate the reception of Amoris Laetitia, in which families will also take part.

A culture of dialogue against the logic of war

One passage of the address was dedicated to peace. In it, Pope Leo stated that the cardinals clearly grasped one of the insights of the encyclical Magnifica humanitas: War does not arise only from conflicts between states, but from a “culture of power” that permeates human relationships, economics, politics, technology, and even religion.

In response, he proposed rebuilding a culture of cooperation and dialogue, strengthening multilateralism, and promoting the participation of lay people in public life inspired by the Church’s social doctrine.

The Pope also defended non-violent response as a profoundly evangelical option, clarifying that it does not mean passivity, but rather confronting conflicts without reproducing the logic of hatred.

In this context, he revealed that several working groups had requested deeper theological and pastoral reflection on legitimate defense in light of the changes affecting contemporary conflicts.

A Church that witnesses before it organizes

Pope Leo insisted that the renewal of the Church does not depend only on structural reforms, but above all on the witness of communities capable of living the Gospel credibly.

“The Church is called to become ever more fully what it proclaims,” he said, emphasizing that all institutional reform will bear fruit only if it arises from encounter with Christ and sacramental life.

The Pope also reiterated his intention to continue this annual gathering starting next year. He clarified that the date has not yet been set, but he hopes to announce it by the end of this year.

A final appeal for peace

At the conclusion of his address, Pope Leo fully adopted as his own the unanimous appeal that emerged from the Consistory and invited the cardinals to pass it on to all the churches and peoples of the world.

“God continues to open paths of reconciliation and peace in history. We have the responsibility to walk them with courage and to help the world recognize them,” he said.

He also thanked everyone for their contribution, “as well as the Relators, the Moderators, and all those who, with generosity and discretion, made these days of work and fraternity possible.”

“Thank you for helping me, once again, to recognize the work that Christ continues to accomplish among his people and in the world. We entrust the fruits of this Consistory to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. May she teach us to preserve unity in diversity and to serve the Gospel of peace with humility, courage, and hope. Thank you!”

Saint of the Day for Saturday

 

        St. Cyril of Alexandria

St. Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (June 27) Cyril was born at Alexandria, Egypt. He was nephew of the patriarch of that city, Theophilus. Cyril received a classical and theological education at Alexandria and was ordained by his uncle. He accompanied Theophilus to Constantinople in 403 and was present at the Synod of the Oak that deposed John Chrysostom, whom he believed guilty of the charges against him. He succeeded his uncle Theophilus as patriarch of Alexandria on Theophilus' death in 412, but only after a riot between Cyril's supporters and the followers of his rival Timotheus. Cyril at once began a series of attacks against the Novatians, whose churches he closed; the Jews, whom he drove from the city; and governor Orestes, with whom he disagreed about some of his actions. In 430 Cyril became embroiled with Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople, who was preaching that Mary was not the Mother of God since Christ was Divine and not human, and consequently she should not have the word theotokos (God-bearer) applied to her. He persuaded Pope Celestine I to convoke a synod at Rome, which condemned Nestorius, and then did the same at his own synod in Alexandria. Celestine directed Cyril to depose Nestorius, and in 431, Cyril presided over the third General Council at Ephesus, attended by some two hundred bishops, which condemned all the tenets of Nestorius and his followers before the arrival of Archbishop John of Antioch and forty-two followers who believed Nestorius was innocent. When they found what had been done, they held a council of their own and deposed Cyril. Emperor Theodosius II arrested both Cyril and Nestorius but released Cyril on the arrival of Papal Legates who confirmed the council's actions against Nestorius and declared Cyril innocent of all charges. Two years later, Archbishop John, representing the moderate Antiochene bishops, and Cyril reached an agreement and joined in the condemnation, and Nestorius was forced into exile. During the rest of his life, Cyril wrote treatises that clarified the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation and that helped prevent Nestorianism and Pelagianism from taking long-term deep root in the Christian community. He was the most brilliant theologian of the Alexandrian tradition. His writings are characterized by accurate thinking, precise exposition, and great reasoning skills. Among his writings are commentaries on John, Luke, and the Pentateuch, treatises on dogmatic theology, and Apologia against Julian the Apostate, and letters and sermons. He was declared a doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1882. His feast day is June 27th.