Pope to Nuncios: 'be a clear and attentive gaze on the
Church and the world'
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis
has urged his representatives across the globe to keep a vigilant and lucid
gaze on the Church and on the world.
The Pope was addressing Papal
Nuncios in the Vatican Clementine Hall on Saturday morning as they concluded a
3-day meeting especially convened during the Holy Year of Mercy.
106 out of the 108 Papal
representatives currently in service attended the event – only two were unable
to travel to Rome. Among the 108 Papal representatives in service, 103 are
Apostolic Nuncios with episcopal rank, and 5 are prelates who perform the
mission of Permanent Observer at various international bodies.
During the long and
articulated speech to his men on the ground, Pope Francis said “you are the
link between the Successor of Peter and the various local Churches” which are
vital nourishment for the life of the Church and for the proclamation of God’s
message.
And pointing out that without
humility no service is possible or fruitful, the Pope said that the humility of
a Nuncio passes through his love for the country and for the Church in which he
is called to serve.
Pope Francis said that
watching, analyzing and reporting back are all necessary tasks, but he said,
they are not sufficient in the life of a Nuncio who must also “meet, listen,
talk, share, propose and work together, showing sincere love, sympathy and
empathy with the people and with the local Church”.
He exhorted them not “to
point fingers at” or criticize those whose opinions differ from their own, this
– he said - is a miserable tactic of today's political and cultural wars and
must not be a method adopted by the Church.
“Our gaze must be far-reaching
and deep” – he said- and the formation of consciences is a primary duty that
requires delicacy and perseverance.
And acknowledging that there
are many threats in the world that attack the flock, confusing it, disrupting
it, dispersing and even destroying it, Pope Francis told the Nuncios they must
be aware of the faces of danger that threaten their flocks; and he pointed to
the situation of so many Christians in the Middle East who are threatened with
eradication thanks also to the complicit silence of many.
“To be ready and happy to
spend (sometimes even lose) time with bishops, priests, religious, parishes,
cultural and social institutions, is ultimately “the job of a Nuncio” he said.
The Pope also exhorted those
present to make sure the Apostolic Nunciature truly is the “Pope’s home”: a
place in which the entire ecclesial body can find support and advice, and in
which public authorities may find a constant reference point - and not only for
diplomatic functions.
“Make sure, he said, that
your Nunciature never becomes a refuge for ‘friends and friends of friends’.
Flee from gossip and careerists” he said.
Pope Francis then encouraged
the Nuncios not to be afraid of facing complex and difficult issues and
situations, but warned them against endorsing political or ideological battles
“because the Church's permanence is not based on the consent of parlors or
squares, but on loyalty towards the Lord”.
And pointing out that the
Church’s true power flows from God’s mercy, the Pope said “We have no right to
deprive the world, the diplomatic forum and large areas of international
discussion of this wealth that no one else can provide”.
This awareness – he said -
encourages us to enter into dialogue with everyone, to be the prophetic voice
of the marginalized: “May their cry become our cry and together we can break
the barrier of indifference that often reigns to hide hypocrisy and
selfishness”.
The Pope then told the
Nuncios that “to accompany, you have to move”. He invited them to visit
dioceses, religious institutes, parishes and seminaries to understand how God’s
people live, what they think and which are the questions they ask.
He told them to be “a true
expression of an outgoing Church, or a ‘field hospital’ which is capable of
being part of the local Church, of the country or of the institution” to which
they have been sent.
“May your diplomatic service
be the attentive and clear gaze of the Successor of Peter upon the Church and
the world!” he said.
Acknowledging that the speed
of our times demands constant and permanent updating and training, Pope Francis
said the challenges we face today are great ones and he said papal diplomacy is
called to be involved and to make “mercy palpable in this wounded and broken
world”.
He said that while the Church
must not underestimate current problematics, it is called to look ahead and not
be obsessed with the need for immediate results
The Pope told the nuncios not
to be afraid to speak with confidence to people and to public institutions
certain of the fact that clarity and mercy never confuse or detract from the
beauty and the power of truth.
The world, Pope Francis said:
“is afraid and is spreading fear. Often this is the key it adopts in its
reading of reality and chooses – as its strategy - to build a world founded on
walls and moats”.
“We can understand the
reasons of that fear, but we must not embrace it, ‘for God did not give us a spirit
of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control’(2 Tim 1, 7)”.
Draw from this spirit – Pope
Francis said - and go: “open doors, build bridges, create ties, make
friendships, promote unity. Be men of prayer: never neglect this, especially silent
adoration, the true source of your work”.
Fear – he concluded - lives
permanently in the darkness of the past and is provisional: “The future is ours
because it belongs to Christ!”
(Linda Bordoni)
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