Pope Benedict: Bishops, restless hearts and supernovas

Just like the Three Wise Men, a bishop must be filled with the “courage of humility”, not asking what “prevailing opinion says about him, but following the criterion of God’s truth and taking his stand accordingly”, said Pope Benedict XVI as he ordained two new bishops on Friday, during Mass for the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord.

Msgr. Charles Brown and Msgr. Marek Solczynski, lay prostrate before the Altar of the Confessions above the tomb of St Peter as the Pope and faithful who filled the basilica chanted the litany of supplication. 52-year-old New York native, Archbishop Brown, a former official at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has been appointed as the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland. Archbishop Solczynski, from Warsaw, Poland, has been appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Georgia and Armenia.

In his homily the Pope described how the Magi “were men of science”, but also “men with restless hearts”, who were also courageous and humble. Pope Benedict imagined the mockery they must have endured for setting off on such their journey. For them – the Pope said- it was a question of truth itself, not human opinion”, because “their humble courage was what enabled them to bend down before the child of poor people”.

The bishop too must be a man with all these qualities, said Pope Benedict. Then, referring to the rite of ordination of bishops, the Pope listed their tasks: "Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, going ahead and leading, guarding the sacred heritage of our faith, showing mercy and charity to the needy and the poor, thus mirroring God’s merciful love for us, and finally, praying without ceasing".

“The great star, the true supernova that leads us on” in this task, he told two the two men before him Friday, “is Christ himself”. "As you are ordained bishops you too are called to be stars of God for men, leading them along the path towards the true light, towards Christ". Listen to Emer McCarthy's report: