0
0
Pope Leo’s address to the new bishops participating in the Formation Course
“Bishops, Servants of Communion in the church and in today’s world”
Synod Hall – Thursday, 10 September 2026
“Vobis enim sum episcopus, vobiscum sum christianus“
(For with you, I am a bishop, I am a Christian”)
In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!
Pope Leo’s address:
In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!
I am sincerely very happy to meet you at the end of these days of formation for new Bishops.
I thank the Dicasteries for Bishops, for the Oriental Churches and for Evangelization – – Section One: Evangelization and New Particular Churches.
Some of the people who worked on the organization are here, and I thank them.
Having known a little about what it means to organize this program, I am grateful to them.
You have experienced a unique sense of fraternity.
Together, you listened, prayed, celebrated the Eucharist, and shared your hopes and dreams for the churches entrusted to your care as pastors.
All of this will help you remember something simple yet precious: no bishop walks alone.
Dear friends,
Know that you and your churches are in my prayers.
This includes priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians, families, young people, the elderly, the poor, and those who suffer.
It also includes those who are still waiting to encounter the joy of the Gospel.
Each of you has a place in the bishop’s heart because each of you has a place in Christ’s heart.
For this reason, I would now like to share some reflections with you on the following theme: “Bishops, servants of communion in the Church and in today’s world”.
First and foremost, remain with Jesus.
Of all the things you will be called to do as bishops, this is the most important.
We are bishops, but first and foremost, we are disciples.
In order to speak of Him, we must be with Him.
In order to guide His people, we must allow ourselves to be guided by Him every day.
The Gospel of Mark tells us, “He appointed twelve, whom he called apostles, to be with him and to send them out to preach.”
The order of the Gospel is this: to be with Him and to be sent from Him.
Let us never forget this.
Therefore, always keep your time with the Lord in your heart: the Eucharist, the Word of God, prayer, and those moments when you can be in his presence with the simple heart of a disciple who allows himself to be loved by his Lord.
Our ministry is born from there.
When the heart remains close to him, service becomes more serene, free, and fruitful.
A second aspect: have the heart of Jesus the Good Shepherd
Have a heart completely turned toward the Father and, for this very reason, wholly devoted to one’s brothers and sisters.
Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
This is our model.
The bishop is a man who learns to love his people more and more every day:
– to know the joys and sorrows of his people,
– to share their dreams and to rejoice in seeing communities grow. You will ordain priests and deacons.
You will meet young people full of enthusiasm.
You will witness the silent generosity of countless religious men and women, missionaries, catechists, and families.
You will discover more and more how beautiful the People of God are.
Love the people the Lord has entrusted to you.
Learn their names, listen to their stories, and enter their homes when you can.
Pray with them.
In young churches especially, the bishop’s presence often speaks volumes, even before he speaks.
A visit, a blessing, spending time with a priest, listening to a family, or talking with a young person are small gestures that can leave a lasting impression.
Another characteristic of the bishop is pastoral solicitude, or sollicitudo pastoralis.
It is not merely having many responsibilities.
Rather, it is a deeper concept: carrying one’s people in one’s heart.
St. Paul referred to his concern for all the churches as his “daily concern” (2 Cor. 11:28). In this way, the church to which you have been sent becomes part of your life and almost part of yourself.
This is proper to episcopal fatherhood: having a great soul big enough to make room for everyone and carrying one’s children within oneself, presenting them to the Lord in prayer every day.
Pope Francis recalled that “closeness is one of God’s traits with his people”
(Homily on the Centenary of the Birth of St. John Paul II, May 18, 2020).
Speaking to the bishops of the Formation Course on September 12, 2019, he said:
“We exist to make this closeness palpable.” What precious words for us!
May people feel something of God’s tenderness and fatherhood through our presence!
This is especially true for priests.
Dear brothers, I recommend that you love your priests.
May they find a father and a brother in each one of you.
Listen to them, encourage them, pray for them, rejoice in their good deeds, and support them in their ministry.
Show special attention to the elderly and sick.
Make them feel precious and grateful to the Church. Let them know that the bishop does not forget them.
Sometimes, a phone call, a visit, or an affectionate word from you is enough.
Another trait of our ministry that I would like to highlight is the “amoris officium,” or “service of love,” as described by St. Augustine (In Iohannis Evangelium, 123, 5).
Our preaching, listening, prayer, discernment, and time spent with people are all acts of love.
Pastoral charity allows Christ the Shepherd to reach the people he loves through us.
We live in an era of rapid change.
Developments in communication technology and artificial intelligence have opened up possibilities that we would not have imagined a few years ago.
However, these technologies cannot free humanity from sin and its consequences.
The crises we are experiencing tragically demonstrate this.
In such a complex and disturbing scenario as the current one, the Church celebrated the Jubilee of Hope last year.
Is it because she lives outside the world?
On the contrary, she is sent by Christ, who died and rose, to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to all.
We bishops are the first recipients of this mandate.
With the encyclical Magnificat Hominum, I believe I have offered the pastors of the churches a vision and a method to face the great challenge of caring for humanity in the age of artificial intelligence.
I encourage you to promote paths of reflection and dialogue in your dioceses to educate and support those who wish to dedicate themselves to the service of the civilization of love.
Many of you come from young churches.
You know the beauty and the fatigue of the mission of a church that may have few material possessions but is rich in faith.
For this reason, I invite you to maintain a missionary spirit.
It is a precious gift from the Lord that can grow even greater in your episcopal ministry.
A missionary bishop has an open heart for everyone, not only those who attend our parishes, but also Christians of other denominations, believers of other religions, and people who don’t profess a faith.
He has a heart for all people of goodwill.
He listens to and respects everyone.
He is close to everyone and recognizes the good in every person’s heart.
Saint Augustine said to his people: “Vobis enim sum episcopus, vobiscum sum Christianus” (“For with you, I am a bishop; with you, I am a Christian”) (Sermon 340, 1).
Let us walk with our people. Let us pray with them.
Let us listen to the Word with them. Let us celebrate the Eucharist with them.
Let us seek the face of the Lord with them every day.
Dear brothers,
As you return to your churches, take this certainty with you: The Lord who called you is faithful.
He will go before you on the road and accompany you on your journey.
With the gift of his Holy Spirit, he will provide you with light every day.
May Mary, Mother of the Church, always keep you and those entrusted to your care.
Thank you.
