“Please, do not neglect caring for the little ones and the poor, and show them an example of an evangelical life, far from the splendor of wealth and the arrogance of power,” this is what His Holiness Pope Francis said in his speech to the members of the Synod of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Church.
His Holiness Pope Francis received this Wednesday morning in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican the members of the Synod of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Church. On this occasion, the Holy Father delivered a speech in which he welcomed his guests and said, “As bishops, successors of the apostles, it is our responsibility to accompany the holy people of God towards Jesus, the Lord and friend of mankind, our good shepherd.” . For this reason, on the day of our episcopal ordination, we committed ourselves to preserving the faith, promoting hope and spreading the love of Christ.
Pope Francis continued, saying, Dear brothers, one of the great responsibilities of the Synod is precisely to give your Church the bishops of the future. Please choose them carefully, so that they will be devoted to the flock, faithful to pastoral care, and not careerists. They should not be chosen on the basis of desirability or purposes, and you should be very wary of people who have “commercial tendencies” or who “always carry their bag in their hand” and leave the people orphaned. The bishop who sees his diocese as a gateway to a more “prestigious” diocese forgets that he is married to the Church and risks – allow me this expression – committing “pastoral adultery.” The same thing happens when time is wasted negotiating new destinations or promotions: bishops cannot be bought on the market, but rather Christ chooses them as successors to his apostles and shepherds to his flock.
The Holy Father added, “In a world full of isolation and distance, those entrusted to us should feel from us the warmth of the Good Shepherd, our fatherly concern, the beauty of brotherhood, and the mercy of God.” Your dear people need the closeness of their bishops. I know that they are spread all over the world in very large numbers, sometimes over very large areas, where it is difficult for you to visit them. But the Church is a loving mother, and she cannot help but seek all possible means to reach them, so that they may receive the love of God in their ecclesiastical tradition. It is not about structures, which are merely means to help spread the gospel; Rather, it is first and foremost a matter of pastoral love, seeking the good and promoting it with an evangelical outlook and openness: I also think of the necessity of close cooperation with the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The Supreme Pontiff continued to say, “Beloved ones, in this holy season of Lent, we are called to look to the cross and build on Christ, who heals wounds with forgiveness and love.” We are required to intercede for everyone with greatness of soul and spirit. Like Saint Gregory of Narek, who prayed, saying: O Lord, “remember those who are our enemies in the human race, but for their good: bring about forgiveness and mercy in them.” He also wrote with wonderful prophetic poignancy: “Do not destroy those who bite me: turn them around! I will uproot evil worldly behavior and establish good behavior in me and in them.” You, brothers, along with the priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and all the believers in your church, have a great responsibility on your shoulders. Saint Gregory the Illuminator carried the light of Christ to the Armenian people, and he was the first to accept it in history. You are then witnesses, so to speak, “firstborns” of this light, you are a dawn called to shine Christian prophecy in a world that often prefers the darkness of hatred, division, violence and revenge. Of course – you may tell me – our church is not large in numbers. But let us remember that God loves to do great things with little ones. In this sense, please, do not neglect to care for the little ones and the poor, and show them an example of an evangelical life, far from the splendor of wealth and the arrogance of power; Receive refugees and support those in the diaspora as brothers, sisters, sons and daughters.
The Holy Father added, “I would like to share with you another aspect that I consider a priority: pray a lot, also for the preservation of the internal order that allows you to work in harmony, and discern the priorities of the Gospel, those that are dear to the Lord.” As an old Latin proverb reminds us: “Keep order, and order will keep you.” Therefore, let your synods be well prepared, and let the problems be carefully studied and wisely evaluated; May the solutions be implemented, always and only for the good of souls, and be verified with wisdom, consistency and efficiency, ensuring complete transparency, even in the economic sphere. Likewise, the laws must be known and applied, not for the sake of formality, but because they are church tools that allow even those who do not have authority to resort to the Church with full legal rights, and to avoid the arbitrariness of the stronger.
The Supreme Pontiff continued, “I would like to entrust you with another idea related to the pastoral care of vocations. In a secular world, today more than ever, seminarians and those being initiated into monastic life need to be rooted in an authentic Christian life, far from any “princely psychology.” Likewise, priests, especially young people, need the closeness of pastors, who foster fraternal communion between them, so that they do not despair in the face of difficulties and, day after day, become more obedient to the creativity of the Holy Spirit, so that they serve the People of God with the joy of love, and not with the harshness and sterile repetition of bureaucrats. Have hope in everything: Even if the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few, let us trust in the Lord who works wonders in those who trust in Him.
Your Beatitude, dear brothers, how can we not finally remember in words, and especially in prayer, Armenia, and in particular all those fleeing from Nagorno-Karabakh, and the many displaced families seeking refuge, the Holy Father added! Many wars and much suffering. The First World War had to be the last and the nations formed the League of Nations, the “first” United Nations, believing that this would be enough to preserve the gift of peace. But since then, how many conflicts and massacres, tragic and useless, have occurred. I have pleaded many times: “Enough!” Let us all echo the cry of peace, so that it touches hearts, even those that do not feel the pain of the poor and humble. And let us pray in particular, I will pray for you and for Armenia. And you, please, keep me in your prayers!
Pope Francis concluded his speech by saying, “Thank you for your presence and your service.” Before I give you the blessing, I would like to say a prayer, which I invite you to unite with me, to Saint Nerses the Great, waiting for us to be able to celebrate him, God willing, with the brothers of the Armenian Apostolic Church: “O merciful Lord: have mercy on all who believe in you; From relatives and strangers, from the known and the unknown, from the living and the dead: Grant also forgiveness to my enemies for the evils they have done to me, restore them from the injustice they inflict on me, so that they too may be worthy of your mercy. Have mercy on your creatures and have mercy on me, the great sinner.”
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2024-02-28 11:14:03