Proclaim God’s word, avoid boring speeches, new bishops told

Oct 12, 2019

By Junno Arocho Esteves
Ordaining four new bishops, Pope Francis reminded them that a bishop is first and foremost an apostle, not an administrator who doles out dull discourses.

“Proclaim the true word, not boring speeches that no one understands. Proclaim the word of God,” the Pope said in his homily Oct 4 at the Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.

“Remember that according to Peter, in the Acts of the Apostles, the two principal tasks of the bishop are prayer and proclaiming the word. There are other administrative (tasks), but these two are the backbone,” he said.

The Pope presided over the Oct 4 ordination Mass of the new bishops, including Canadian Cardinal-designate Michael Czerny, who was created a cardinal at the Oct 5 consistory.

The three other candidates ordained were archbishops: Italian Paolo Borgia, an official at the Vatican Secretariat of State, Maltese Antoine Camilleri, Vatican deputy foreign minister, and Italian Paolo Rudelli, who has served as the Vatican’s representative to the Council of Europe.

Archbishops Borgia, Camilleri and Rudelli were named apostolic nuncios by Pope Francis Sept 3.
Pope Francis anointed each new bishop with oil and gave them each the signs of their ministry: a ring that represents faithfulness to Christ’s Church, the miter that reminds them of their call to holiness and the crosier as a sign of their ministry as shepherd.

As is customary, the Pope used the homily prescribed for the occasion by the Italian Bishops’ Conference, but he also added a few personal words of advice to the new bishops.

The Pope reminded the four prelates that, as bishops, they have been entrusted to be “faithful guardians and dispensers of the mysteries of Christ.”

Bishops, he said, are called to follow the “example of the Good Shepherd, who knows his sheep, who is known to them and who did not hesitate to give his life to them.” --CNS