Pope Benedict today received newly appointed Bishops who are participating in a course
sponsored by the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.
Speaking to
the newly appointed Bishop’s the Holy Father said their course of study in Rome offered
them a real opportunity to focus on the duties of their ministry and to renew the
profession of their faith.
The Pope expressed his spiritual closeness to these
men recently called to the Episcopal ministry and acknowledged the challenges they
face especially in Christian communities where living the faith is at times not easy
and where in addition to various forms of poverty, sometimes forms of persecution
can occur because of ones Christian faith.
The Holy Father said it was the
Bishops task to give these people hope, to share their difficulties, drawing on the
charity of Christ.
But the Pope also underlined to the Bishop’s that in order
to imitate Christ they must themselves devote adequate time to be with him "and contemplate
the intimacy of a prayerful heart to heart conversation.
The Bishop, Pope
Benedict added “is called to serve the Church in the style of God made man.
He
is above all a servant and minister of the Word of God, which is his real strength”.
The Pope went on to say that he knew that communities entrusted to Bishops,
were in many cases in the minority, but the Holy Father encouraged them to continue
to preach the Gospel.
He also urged the Bishops not to give into pessimism
and despair, because he said the Holy Spirit guides the Church and gives it the courage
to persevere and also to seek new methods of evangelization, reaching areas hitherto
unexplored.
Finally, Pope Benedict stressed that Christian truth is attractive
and persuasive precisely because it responds to the deep need of human existence,
announcing convincingly that Christ is the Saviour of all mankind...