Pope Leo XIV says "you are called to... protect the seeds of hope, to encourage peaceful coexistence" FULL TEXT at Ordination Homily
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On Sunday evening of 26 October Pope Leo XIV presided the Mass with the episcopal ordination of now Archbishop Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski, the newly appointed papal nuncio to Iraq. Archbishop Wachowski’s episcopal motto, “Gloria Deo Pax Hominibus” was described by the Pope as “a program for life” and the way to let God’s glory shine through peace.
EPISCOPAL ORDINATION OF
HE MGR. MIROSŁAW STANISŁAW WACHOWSKI,
ARCHBISHOP-ELECT OF VILLAMAGNA, PROCONSULARE,
AND APOSTOLIC NUNCIO TO IRAQ
HOLY MASS - FULL HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
in the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica
XXX Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 26, 2025
____________________________________
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today the Church of Rome rejoices together with the universal Church, exulting in the gift of a new Bishop: Archbishop Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski, a son of the Polish land, Titular Archbishop-elect of Villamagna di Proconsolare and Apostolic Nuncio to the beloved people of Iraq.
The motto he chose— Gloria Deo Pax Hominibus —resounds like an echo of the angels' Christmas carol in Bethlehem: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased" ( Lk 2:14). It is the program of a lifetime: to always seek that God's glory shines forth in peace among men. This is the profound meaning of every Christian vocation, and particularly of the episcopal one: to make visible, through one's life, God's praise and his desire to reconcile the world to himself (cf. 2 Cor 5:19).
The Word of God just proclaimed offers us some essential features of the episcopal ministry. The Gospel ( Lk 18:9-14) shows us two men praying in the temple: a Pharisee and a tax collector. The first introduces himself with confidence, listing his deeds; the second stays in the back, not daring to raise his gaze, and entrusts everything to a single invocation: "O God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (v. 13). Jesus says that in reality it is he, the tax collector, who receives God's grace and salvation, because "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted" (v. 14).
The prayer of the poor pierces the clouds, Sirach reminds us: God listens to the supplication of those who entrust themselves totally to Him (see Sir 35:15-22).
This is the first lesson for every bishop: humility. Not the humility of words, but that which dwells in the heart of one who knows he is a servant, not a master; a shepherd, not an owner of the flock.
I am moved to think of the humble prayer that, in Mesopotamia, has risen like incense for centuries: the publican of the Gospel has the face of so many faithful of the East who, in silence, continue to say: "O God, have mercy on me, a sinner ." Their prayer never ceases, and today the universal Church joins that chorus of trust that pierces the clouds and touches the heart of God.
Dear Monsignor Mirosław, you come from a land of lakes and forests. In those landscapes, where silence reigns supreme, you learned to contemplate; amidst the snow and sun, you learned sobriety and strength; in a peasant family, loyalty to the land and to work. The early morning taught you discipline of the heart, and your love for nature led you to discover the beauty of the Creator.
These roots are not just a memory to cherish, but a lifelong lesson. From your contact with the earth, you have learned that fruitfulness comes from waiting and faithfulness: two words that also define the episcopal ministry. The Bishop is called to sow with patience, to cultivate with respect, to wait with hope. He is a custodian, not an owner; a man of prayer, not of possession. The Lord entrusts you with a mission to care for it with the same dedication with which a farmer tends his field: every day, with perseverance, with faith.
At the same time, we heard the Apostle Paul who, looking at his own life, says: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" ( 2 Tim 4:7). His strength does not come from pride, but from gratitude, because the Lord supported him in his toils and trials.
So, too, dear brother, you who have journeyed in service to the Church in the Pontifical Representations in Senegal and in your native Poland, at the International Organizations in Vienna and in the Secretariat of State, as a Minutes Officer and Undersecretary for Relations with States, have lived diplomacy as obedience to the truth of the Gospel, with discretion and competence, with respect and dedication, and for this I am grateful. Now the Lord asks that this gift become pastoral fatherhood: being a father, shepherd, and witness of hope in a land marked by pain and the desire for rebirth. You are called to fight the good fight of faith, not against others, but against the temptation to grow weary, to withdraw, to measure results, counting on the fidelity that is your hallmark: the fidelity of those who do not seek themselves, but serve with professionalism, with respect, with a competence that enlightens and does not show off.
Saint Paul VI , in his Apostolic Letter Sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum , recalls that the Papal Representative is a sign of the Successor of Peter's concern for all the Churches. He is sent to strengthen the bonds of communion, to promote dialogue with civil authorities, to safeguard the Church's freedom, and to promote the good of peoples. The Apostolic Nuncio is not just any diplomat: he is the face of a Church that accompanies, consoles, and builds bridges. His task is not to defend partisan interests, but to serve communion.
In Iraq, the land of your mission, this service takes on a special meaning. There, the Catholic Church, in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, lives in diverse traditions: the Chaldean Church, with its Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and the Aramaic language of the liturgy; the Syriac Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Greek Catholic, and Latin Churches. It is a mosaic of rites and cultures, of history and faith, which asks to be welcomed and protected in charity.
The Christian presence in Mesopotamia is ancient: according to tradition, it was Saint Thomas the Apostle, after the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, who brought the Gospel to that land; and it was his disciples Addai and Mari who founded the first communities. In that region, they pray in the language that Jesus spoke: Aramaic. This apostolic root is a sign of a continuity that the violence, manifested with ferocity in recent decades, has not been able to extinguish. Indeed, the voices of those brutally deprived of life in those lands remain. They pray today for you, for Iraq, for world peace.
For the first time in history, a Pontiff visited Iraq . In March 2021, Pope Francis arrived as a pilgrim of fraternity. In that land, where Abraham, our father in faith, heard God's call, my predecessor recalled that "God, who created human beings equal in dignity and rights, calls us to spread love, benevolence, and harmony. In Iraq too, the Catholic Church desires to be a friend to all and, through dialogue, to collaborate constructively with other religions for the cause of peace" (Francis, Address to Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps , 5 March 2021).
Today you are called to continue that journey: to protect the seeds of hope, to encourage peaceful coexistence, to demonstrate that the Holy See's diplomacy is born of the Gospel and nourished by prayer.
Dear Monsignor Mirosław, always be a man of communion and silence, of listening and dialogue. Bring in your words the meekness that edifies and in your gaze the peace that consoles. In Iraq, the people will recognize you not by what you say, but by how you love.
We entrust your mission to Mary, Queen of Peace, to Saints Thomas, Addai, and Mari, and to the many witnesses to the faith in Iraq. May they accompany you and be a light on your path.
And so, as the Church, in prayer, welcomes you into the College of Bishops, let us pray together: may the glory of God illuminate your path and may the peace of Christ dwell wherever you place your footsteps. Gloria Deo, Pax Hominibus . Amen.
HE MGR. MIROSŁAW STANISŁAW WACHOWSKI,
ARCHBISHOP-ELECT OF VILLAMAGNA, PROCONSULARE,
AND APOSTOLIC NUNCIO TO IRAQ
HOLY MASS - FULL HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
in the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica
XXX Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 26, 2025
____________________________________
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today the Church of Rome rejoices together with the universal Church, exulting in the gift of a new Bishop: Archbishop Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski, a son of the Polish land, Titular Archbishop-elect of Villamagna di Proconsolare and Apostolic Nuncio to the beloved people of Iraq.
The motto he chose— Gloria Deo Pax Hominibus —resounds like an echo of the angels' Christmas carol in Bethlehem: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased" ( Lk 2:14). It is the program of a lifetime: to always seek that God's glory shines forth in peace among men. This is the profound meaning of every Christian vocation, and particularly of the episcopal one: to make visible, through one's life, God's praise and his desire to reconcile the world to himself (cf. 2 Cor 5:19).
The Word of God just proclaimed offers us some essential features of the episcopal ministry. The Gospel ( Lk 18:9-14) shows us two men praying in the temple: a Pharisee and a tax collector. The first introduces himself with confidence, listing his deeds; the second stays in the back, not daring to raise his gaze, and entrusts everything to a single invocation: "O God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (v. 13). Jesus says that in reality it is he, the tax collector, who receives God's grace and salvation, because "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted" (v. 14).
The prayer of the poor pierces the clouds, Sirach reminds us: God listens to the supplication of those who entrust themselves totally to Him (see Sir 35:15-22).
This is the first lesson for every bishop: humility. Not the humility of words, but that which dwells in the heart of one who knows he is a servant, not a master; a shepherd, not an owner of the flock.
I am moved to think of the humble prayer that, in Mesopotamia, has risen like incense for centuries: the publican of the Gospel has the face of so many faithful of the East who, in silence, continue to say: "O God, have mercy on me, a sinner ." Their prayer never ceases, and today the universal Church joins that chorus of trust that pierces the clouds and touches the heart of God.
Dear Monsignor Mirosław, you come from a land of lakes and forests. In those landscapes, where silence reigns supreme, you learned to contemplate; amidst the snow and sun, you learned sobriety and strength; in a peasant family, loyalty to the land and to work. The early morning taught you discipline of the heart, and your love for nature led you to discover the beauty of the Creator.
These roots are not just a memory to cherish, but a lifelong lesson. From your contact with the earth, you have learned that fruitfulness comes from waiting and faithfulness: two words that also define the episcopal ministry. The Bishop is called to sow with patience, to cultivate with respect, to wait with hope. He is a custodian, not an owner; a man of prayer, not of possession. The Lord entrusts you with a mission to care for it with the same dedication with which a farmer tends his field: every day, with perseverance, with faith.
At the same time, we heard the Apostle Paul who, looking at his own life, says: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" ( 2 Tim 4:7). His strength does not come from pride, but from gratitude, because the Lord supported him in his toils and trials.
So, too, dear brother, you who have journeyed in service to the Church in the Pontifical Representations in Senegal and in your native Poland, at the International Organizations in Vienna and in the Secretariat of State, as a Minutes Officer and Undersecretary for Relations with States, have lived diplomacy as obedience to the truth of the Gospel, with discretion and competence, with respect and dedication, and for this I am grateful. Now the Lord asks that this gift become pastoral fatherhood: being a father, shepherd, and witness of hope in a land marked by pain and the desire for rebirth. You are called to fight the good fight of faith, not against others, but against the temptation to grow weary, to withdraw, to measure results, counting on the fidelity that is your hallmark: the fidelity of those who do not seek themselves, but serve with professionalism, with respect, with a competence that enlightens and does not show off.
Saint Paul VI , in his Apostolic Letter Sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum , recalls that the Papal Representative is a sign of the Successor of Peter's concern for all the Churches. He is sent to strengthen the bonds of communion, to promote dialogue with civil authorities, to safeguard the Church's freedom, and to promote the good of peoples. The Apostolic Nuncio is not just any diplomat: he is the face of a Church that accompanies, consoles, and builds bridges. His task is not to defend partisan interests, but to serve communion.
In Iraq, the land of your mission, this service takes on a special meaning. There, the Catholic Church, in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, lives in diverse traditions: the Chaldean Church, with its Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and the Aramaic language of the liturgy; the Syriac Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Greek Catholic, and Latin Churches. It is a mosaic of rites and cultures, of history and faith, which asks to be welcomed and protected in charity.
The Christian presence in Mesopotamia is ancient: according to tradition, it was Saint Thomas the Apostle, after the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, who brought the Gospel to that land; and it was his disciples Addai and Mari who founded the first communities. In that region, they pray in the language that Jesus spoke: Aramaic. This apostolic root is a sign of a continuity that the violence, manifested with ferocity in recent decades, has not been able to extinguish. Indeed, the voices of those brutally deprived of life in those lands remain. They pray today for you, for Iraq, for world peace.
For the first time in history, a Pontiff visited Iraq . In March 2021, Pope Francis arrived as a pilgrim of fraternity. In that land, where Abraham, our father in faith, heard God's call, my predecessor recalled that "God, who created human beings equal in dignity and rights, calls us to spread love, benevolence, and harmony. In Iraq too, the Catholic Church desires to be a friend to all and, through dialogue, to collaborate constructively with other religions for the cause of peace" (Francis, Address to Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps , 5 March 2021).
Today you are called to continue that journey: to protect the seeds of hope, to encourage peaceful coexistence, to demonstrate that the Holy See's diplomacy is born of the Gospel and nourished by prayer.
Dear Monsignor Mirosław, always be a man of communion and silence, of listening and dialogue. Bring in your words the meekness that edifies and in your gaze the peace that consoles. In Iraq, the people will recognize you not by what you say, but by how you love.
We entrust your mission to Mary, Queen of Peace, to Saints Thomas, Addai, and Mari, and to the many witnesses to the faith in Iraq. May they accompany you and be a light on your path.
And so, as the Church, in prayer, welcomes you into the College of Bishops, let us pray together: may the glory of God illuminate your path and may the peace of Christ dwell wherever you place your footsteps. Gloria Deo, Pax Hominibus . Amen.
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