Pope ordains five new bishops

Pope Benedict XVI ordained 5 new bishops on Saturday during Mass in St Peter’s Basilica: Secretary to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Savio Hon Tai-Fai; Secretary to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Marcello Bartolucci; the Secretary to the Congregation for Clergy, Celso Morga Iruzubieta; the Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan, Edgar Pena Parra, and Antonio Guido Filipazzi, who is also in the Holy See’s diplomatic service.

Each of the newly ordained prelates has received the dignity of Archbishop, which is customary for high-ranking curial officials and Papal diplomats.

In his homily, the Holy Father spoke of the role of the bishop, as pastor of souls and living witness to the faith of the Church, for the protection and conservation of which, whole and entire, his office was instituted by Christ, and has come down to the present day in an unbroken chain from Peter and the Apostles.

The Holy Father also spoke of the urgent need for men to do the work of the Lord: “ ‘The harvest is plentiful’ - even today, right now,” said Pope Benedict, quoting from the Gospel according to St. Luke, which was read at Mass.

The Pope went on to say, “Although it may seem that large parts of the modern world, men of today, turn away from God and maintain that faith is a thing of the past – even so, there is a deep, groaning desire that justice, love, peace, be finally established, that poverty and suffering are overcome, that people find joy.”

“All this yearning,” he said, “is present in today's world, the yearning for that, which is great, for all that is good. It is nostalgia for the Redeemer, for God himself, even where He is denied.”

Listen to Chris Altieri's report: