Holy Father Pope Francis urged the new Bishops from across the globe who have been appointed during the past year, to avoid being imprisoned by nostalgia and advised them to cultivate an attitude of listening. His Holiness focused on the need for discernment and highlighted the importance for all pastors to not be stuck in the margins but to have the capacity of evaluating God’s times.
As reported by Vatican radio, Holy Father Pope Francis remarked that “Authentic discernment although definitive at every step, is always an open and necessary process, and can be completed and enriched.” Further, His Holiness added, “Discernment can’t be reduced to repeating formulas, in fact, it is an antidote against rigidity because the same solutions aren’t valid everywhere.”
His Holiness concluded the message by reminding the new Bishops that God was already present in their diocese before they got there and He’ll be still there when they leave.
