杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

杏MAP导航 Francis told the Bishops: 鈥淥ur mission is to be for the Church and for the world the 鈥榮acraments鈥� of God's closeness鈥�. Our world seeks this divine closeness, he said. 鈥淭he Church herself is lost when she loses the life-giving tenderness of the Good Shepherd鈥�.

Closeness to God

鈥淐loseness to God is the source of the Bishop's ministry鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航, and 鈥渨e exist to make this closeness palpable鈥�. But we cannot communicate God's closeness without experiencing it, 杏MAP导航 Francis continued. 鈥淲ithout the closeness to the Sower鈥�, we cannot accompany the growth of the seed 鈥渨ith patient confidence鈥�.

Closeness to God鈥檚 people

鈥淐loseness to the people entrusted to us鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 continued, 鈥渋s our essential condition鈥�. 鈥淛esus loves to approach His brothers and sisters鈥� through His Bishops, he said, through their comforting hands; through their words, proclaiming the Gospel, and not themselves; through their hearts, 鈥渨hen they are charged with the joys and sorrows of our brothers and sisters鈥�.

鈥淲e have to proclaim with our lives a measure of life different from that of the world鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis: 鈥渢he measure of a love without measure鈥�.

Closeness of the Good Samaritan

鈥淭he closeness of the Bishop is not rhetoric鈥�, continued 杏MAP导航 Francis.

It is not about 鈥渟elf-referential proclamations, but of real availability鈥�. Closeness uses concrete verbs, he said, like those of the Good Samaritan: 鈥渘ot looking the other way, not leaving people waiting and not to sweeping problems under the carpet鈥�. The 杏MAP导航 encouraged the new Bishops to 鈥渢o stay in touch with people, to devote more time to them than to the desk鈥�. The Good Samaritan bandages wounds, and gets his hands dirty. 鈥淭o be close to the people of God is to identify with them鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, to share their joys and their pains.

Closeness to the poor  

鈥淭he thermometer of closeness is the attention to the least, to the poor鈥�, continued the 杏MAP导航. Living a simple life is 鈥渢o witness that Jesus is enough for us and that the treasure we want to surround ourselves with is made up of those who, in their poverty, remind us of Him鈥�. 

The 杏MAP导航 insisted he was not speaking about poor people in terms of abstract 鈥渄ata and social categories, but concrete people, whose dignity is entrusted to us as their fathers鈥�. Fatherhood, he said, means being able to see, to caress, to weep.

Closeness of listening  

The 杏MAP导航 invited the new Bishops to be 鈥淎postles of listening鈥�, men who know how to listen to things that may not always be pleasant to hear. He told them not to surround themselves with 鈥測es men鈥�.

He encouraged them to make regular pastoral visits: to meet their people and their pastors; to visit following the example of Our Lady, who shows us how 鈥渢o bring the comfort of the Lord鈥�.

Closeness to priests

Finally, the 杏MAP导航 urged the new bishops to be especially close to their priests who need to be 鈥渓oved, accompanied and encouraged鈥�.

鈥淭he priest is the closest neighbor of the bishop鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淓mbrace them, and thank them in my name鈥�.