Rome
I am writing from Rome, where I arrived on Sunday, September 15th.
I am here, only a few hundred meters from St. Peter's Square, together with 114 other new bishops from 49 countries! It's a magnificent experience!
We have a very busy schedule, with interventions by cardinals and bishops, heads of the Vatican departments.
Training is very rich, and we need it. But it is also training to meet so many bishops from so many countries and from such different realities: India, South and Central America, Iraq, Syria, Africa, Madagascar, Indonesia, New Zealand...
On Tuesday and Wednesday we moved to Urbaniana, the University where seminarians and priests from the Mission towns study.
The new bishops from other countries also came here, such as Europe, North America, Brazil, China, Australia: in total there were 264 new bishops!
It is nice to find so many of us, all newly ordained, all very simple and full of the desire to put ourselves at the service of the Church and the people of God entrusted to us.
Here at the Urbaniana I also met Jospin and Sharaff, two seminarians from Bangassou, who arrived in Rome a couple of months ago. In a few weeks they will begin their theology studies here, together with 162 other seminarians from all over the world, a unique experience!
Today, Saturday, the morning is dedicated to the Pope and Saint Peter.
Dressed in full uniform, at 8 we enter the Vatican, and at 9 we were in the Clementina room, a beautiful room from the 1500s. Here is when the Pope arrived, who very simply said that he does not want to make a speech, but to dialogue with us. A series of questions and answers begins, between many of us and the Pope.
I am writing from Rome, where I arrived on Sunday, September 15th.
I am here, only a few hundred meters from St. Peter's Square, together with 114 other new bishops from 49 countries! It's a magnificent experience!
We have a very busy schedule, with interventions by cardinals and bishops, heads of the Vatican departments.
Training is very rich, and we need it. But it is also training to meet so many bishops from so many countries and from such different realities: India, South and Central America, Iraq, Syria, Africa, Madagascar, Indonesia, New Zealand...
On Tuesday and Wednesday we moved to Urbaniana, the University where seminarians and priests from the Mission towns study.
The new bishops from other countries also came here, such as Europe, North America, Brazil, China, Australia: in total there were 264 new bishops!
It is nice to find so many of us, all newly ordained, all very simple and full of the desire to put ourselves at the service of the Church and the people of God entrusted to us.
Here at the Urbaniana I also met Jospin and Sharaff, two seminarians from Bangassou, who arrived in Rome a couple of months ago. In a few weeks they will begin their theology studies here, together with 162 other seminarians from all over the world, a unique experience!
Today, Saturday, the morning is dedicated to the Pope and Saint Peter.
Dressed in full uniform, at 8 we enter the Vatican, and at 9 we were in the Clementina room, a beautiful room from the 1500s. Here is when the Pope arrived, who very simply said that he does not want to make a speech, but to dialogue with us. A series of questions and answers begins, between many of us and the Pope.
He begins
immediately by inviting us to maintain a sense of humor, to creativity,
which is born from the freedom of the heart, to strength, which is a
gift from God. Among the questions, also how to cope with the weight of
the bishop's ministry, and he reminds us that strength is a gift, and if
we pray we will get it.
He exhorts us to be close to God, to our brother bishops, to our priests, to the people entrusted to us.
I also greet him, and talk to him about Central Africa, which is very close to his heart. In fact, it recalls the visit to Bangui and the opening of the door of the Jubilee of Mercy in 2015.
After the meeting with Pope Francis, which lasted almost 2 hours, we went down to St. Peter's Basilica, and here we celebrated Mass, at 12, presided over by Card Tagle.
In a few days we will leave again, enriched by a unique experience, which speaks to us of God, of Jesus, of the beauty and freshness of the Church, which is Catholic, that is, universal. And it really is!
He exhorts us to be close to God, to our brother bishops, to our priests, to the people entrusted to us.
I also greet him, and talk to him about Central Africa, which is very close to his heart. In fact, it recalls the visit to Bangui and the opening of the door of the Jubilee of Mercy in 2015.
After the meeting with Pope Francis, which lasted almost 2 hours, we went down to St. Peter's Basilica, and here we celebrated Mass, at 12, presided over by Card Tagle.
In a few days we will leave again, enriched by a unique experience, which speaks to us of God, of Jesus, of the beauty and freshness of the Church, which is Catholic, that is, universal. And it really is!
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| Sulla tomba di san Pietro Sur le tombeau de St Pierre |
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| Messa in San Pietro La Messe à saint Pierre |
