In his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis spoke about the role of bishops, which is not to be involved in business, but to be near the people.
POPE FRANCIS
“The people of God know when the shepherd is a shepherd, when the pastor is near, when the pastor knows how to keep watch and gives his life for them. The closeness.”
The pope asked for prayers for good pastors in the Church who work, pray, and are close to God's people.
EXTRACTS OF PAPAL HOMILY
(Source: Vatican News)
Those in charge of the Church in Antioch, believing themselves to be true orthodox theologians of the faith, were in fact disorientating the faithful. On the other hand, the apostles, i.e. today’s bishops, confirm them in the faith. The bishop as “one who monitors, who guards - a sentinel who knows how to watch out in order to defend the flock from the wolves that come.'
Jesus distinguishes between the true shepherd from the employee, from the one who goes for his payment and does not care if the wolf comes and eats one of the sheep.
The true shepherd is awake, who is involved in the life of the flock, defends not only each and every sheep, but also confirms them. And if one goes away or is lost, he goes looking for it to bring it back. He is so involved that he does not let one be lost. A bishop is a shepherd who knows the name of each sheep, i.e. he is close to his sheep.
He said the faithful can make out a bishop who doesn’t care much about them: a bishop who is always busy, who meddles in business, a businessman, one who is busy with things incompatible with his mission, one who is always going about everywhere suitcase-in-hand, or one with 'guitar-in-hand', and so on.
The people of God really know that a shepherd is a shepherd, when he is close to them, when he is able to keep watch and give his life for them.
Pope Francis urged prayers so that the Church may not lack good pastors, who work, pray, are close to God's people and who know how to keep watch.
