Discourse of Pope Benedict XVI to the recently appointed bishops

(September 15, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI in his discourse, urged the newly appointed Bishops to assimilate the human and priestly virtues of Jesus the Good Shepherd in their duty to build up the local church through spiritual growth and holiness. The ministerial priesthood, in fact by virtue of baptism, is the participation in the one priesthood of Christ. The Pontiff was addressing the recently appointed Bishops on Thursday, at his Summer Residence in Castel Gandalfo, in the outskirts of Rome, organised by the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops. The Pope told the Bishops that they have a great responsibility to be vigilant and work to ensure that the faithful grow in the gifts of the Spirit with a vitality that strengthens the work of evangelization and the Church's presence in the world. He told them that with their ministry of sanctification, they are to educate the faithful to participate more intensively in the priestly, prophetic and kingly mission of Christ and thus help them to build up the Church, according to the many gifts gratuitously received from God. The Bishop said the Holy Father has the task of unifying and harmonizing the diversity into charismatic ecclesial unity, and thus build up a priestly community. In this delicate ministry of forming others, the Pope told them to carefully build their spiritual life and their intimacy with the Lord will comfort and support their demanding ministry. Further he invited them to remain always in the presence of the Good Shepherd and to assimilate his deep virtues in their lives. Pope Benedict assured them that the testimony of their lives and their personal prayer would accompany them in their stressful apostolic journey.