Be men of hope, Pope Leo tells bishops during Jubilee

A bishop is a man of deep faith who is filled with hope and stays close to his people, the Pope said in a reflection with bishops celebrating the Jubilee of Bishops at the Vatican on June 25.

The heart of a bishop “is open and welcoming, and so is his home”, he said. But a bishop “must be firm and decisive in dealing with situations that can cause scandal and with every case of abuse, especially involving minors, and fully respect the legislation currently in force”.

Pope Leo reminded the bishops that “each of you, like myself, before being a shepherd, is a sheep, a member of the Lord’s flock”.

“If we are to lead the churches entrusted to our care, we must let ourselves be profoundly renewed by Jesus, the Good Shepherd, in order to conform ourselves fully to his heart and to the mystery of his love,” he said.

The Holy Year dedicated to a hope that “does not disappoint”, the Pope said, is a reminder that “we, as bishops, are the primary heirs of that prophetic legacy, which we must preserve and transmit to the people of God by our words and the way we live our lives”.

At times, preaching that message “means swimming against the tide, even in certain painful situations that appear to be hopeless”, he said. Yet, “if we are truly close to those who suffer, the Holy Spirit can revive in their hearts even a flame that has all but died out”. 

“The bishop is a man of hope,” the Pope continued, “especially at moments of difficulty in people’s lives.

“The bishop, by this theological virtue, helps them not to despair: not simply by his words, but by his closeness,” he said.

“When families are greatly burdened and public institutions fail to provide adequate support; when young people are disillusioned and fed up with empty promises; when the elderly and those with grave disabilities feel abandoned, the bishop is close to them, not offering easy solutions, but rather the experience of communities that strive to live the Gospel in simplicity and solidarity,” the Pope said.

The bishop must not only live the type of poverty that is the celibate life, he said, but must also practise “chastity of heart and conduct”, which presents “the authentic image of the Church” to everyone.

FULL STORY

Bishops live simply, guiding their flock through life’s joys, trials with hope, Pope Leo says | USCCB (By Carol Glatz/CNS)

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