Catholic World News

Pope reminds bishops: serve priests, the poor, non-Catholics

October 24, 2013

A bishop’s role is “always in service,” Pope Francis reminded two newly ordained archbishops at a Vatican ceremony on October 24.

The Pope presided at the episcopal ordination of Archbishop Archbishop Giampiero Gloder, the new president of the Pontifical Ecclesial Academy, and Archbishop Jean-Marie Speich, a French-born prelate who is the new apostolic nuncio to Ghana. “Keep in mind that you were selected to serve, not to dominate,” the Pope told them in his homily.

The Pontiff insisted that bishops should be especially attentive to the needs of their priests. He said that whenever a priest calls his bishop, the bishop should answer that same day.

Pope Francis also said that bishops should pray for non-Catholics as well as the Catholics of the areas under their care, since they are responsible for the spiritual welfare of everyone in their dioceses. Similarly, he said, bishops should always be concerned for the needs of the poor.

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