Pope Leo XIV Tells 147 New Bishops to have "a heart open to all...also to Christians of other denominations, to believers of other religions, to people who do not profess a faith" FULL TEXT

Pope Leo XIV met on Thursday with the Bishops taking part in a formation course, entitled “Bishops, servants of communion in the Church and in today’s world.”
FULL ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
TO THE NEW BISHOPS PARTICIPATING IN THE FORMATION COURSE "BISHOPS, SERVANTS OF COMMUNION IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD TODAY"
in the Vatican's Synod Hall on Thursday, September 10, 2026
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

At this moment, before entering into the theme of the day, we can offer a prayer for the eternal repose of the father of the Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Cardinal Tagle, and for the consolation of the entire family.

[recite Hail Mary]

I am sincerely delighted to meet you at the conclusion of these days of formation for the new Bishops, and I thank the Dicasteries for Bishops , for the Oriental Churches , and for Evangelization —Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches—for their preparation. Some of those who worked on the organization are here, and I thank them, having gained some insight into what it means to organize this program.

You have had a unique experience of fraternity: together you have listened, prayed, celebrated the Eucharist, and shared the hopes and dreams you carry in your hearts for the Churches the Lord has just entrusted to your care as pastors. All this will help you remember something very simple and precious: no bishop walks alone.

Dearest ones, know that you are in my prayers, and with you your Churches: priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians, families, young people, the elderly, the poor, those who suffer, and those still waiting to encounter the joy of the Gospel. Everyone must find a place in the heart of the Bishop, because everyone already has a place in the heart of Christ. Therefore, I would now like to share with you some reflections on the theme: "Bishops, Servants of Communion in the Church and in Today's World . "

First of all, remain with Jesus . Among the many things you will be called to do as Bishops, this is the most important. We are Bishops, but we are first and foremost disciples. To speak of Him, we need to be with Him; to lead His people, we must allow ourselves to be guided by Him every day, every day. "He appointed twelve," the Gospel of St. Mark tells us, "whom he called apostles, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach" ( Mk 3:14). This is the order of the Gospel: to be with Him and, by Him, to be sent out. Let us never forget it. Therefore, always cherish your time with the Lord: the Eucharist, the Word of God, prayer, and those moments in which you can be in His presence with the simple heart of a disciple who allows himself to be loved by his Lord. Our ministry is born from there. And when our hearts remain close to Him, our service also becomes more serene, freer, more fruitful.

A second aspect: having the heart of Jesus the Good Shepherd , a heart completely turned to the Father and, precisely for this reason, totally given to our brothers and sisters. Jesus says: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" ( Jn 10:11). This is our model. The Bishop is a man who learns more and more each day to love his people: to know their joys and sorrows, to share their dreams, to rejoice in seeing their communities grow. You will ordain priests and deacons, you will meet young people full of enthusiasm, you will see the silent generosity of so many men and women religious, missionaries, catechists, and families, and you will discover more and more how beautiful the People of God are. Love the people the Lord has entrusted to you. Learn their names, listen to their stories, enter their homes when you can, pray with them. Especially in the young Churches, the Bishop's presence often says a lot, even before his words. A visit, a blessing, time given to a priest, listening to a family, talking to a young person: these are small gestures, but they can remain in a person's soul for a lifetime.

Another characteristic of the Bishop is what tradition calls sollicitudo pastoralis , pastoral solicitude. It does not simply mean having many responsibilities. It is something deeper: it is carrying one's people in one's heart. Saint Paul called concern for all the Churches his "daily worry" ( 2 Cor 11:28). Thus, the Church to which you have been sent becomes increasingly a part of your life, almost part of yourselves. This is precisely what episcopal fatherhood is all about: having a great soul, big enough to make room for everyone, carrying one's children within oneself and presenting them each day to the Lord in prayer. Pope Francis recalled that "closeness is one of God's traits with his people" ( Homily for the Centenary of the Birth of Saint John Paul II , 18 May 2020). And speaking to the Bishops at the Formation Course on 12 September 2019, he said: "We exist to make this closeness tangible." What precious words for us! May people feel, through our presence, something of God's tenderness and fatherhood! And this is especially true for priests.

In this regard, dear brothers, I urge you to love your priests. May they find in each of you a father and a brother. Listen to them, encourage them, pray for them, rejoice in the good they do, and accompany them with trust in their ministry. Pay special attention to the elderly and the sick. Let them know that they are precious, that the Church is grateful to them, and that the Bishop does not forget them. Sometimes a phone call, a visit, a loving word from you is enough.

Another aspect of our ministry that I would like to recall is, in the beautiful expression of St. Augustine, that of being an " amoris officium " ( In Iohannis Evangelium , 123, 5): a service of love. Our preaching is an act of love, as are listening, prayer, discernment, the time given to people, our presence . It is pastoral charity, which allows Christ the Shepherd to reach the people He loves through our poor person.

We live in an age of rapid change. Developments in communications technologies and artificial intelligence have opened up possibilities we could not have even imagined until a few years ago. But they certainly cannot free humanity from sin and its consequences: this is tragically demonstrated by the crises we are experiencing. In the complex and, in some ways, disturbing scenario of the current one, the Church celebrated the Jubilee of Hope last year . Perhaps because she lives outside the world? On the contrary, because Christ, dead and risen, sent her to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to all. And we Bishops are the first recipients of this mandate. With the Encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, I believe I have offered, first and foremost to the Pastors of the Churches, a vision and a method for addressing the great challenge of protecting humanity in the age of artificial intelligence. I encourage you to promote paths of reflection and dialogue in your dioceses, to train and support those who wish to commit themselves to serving the civilization of love.

Many of you come from young Churches. You know the beauty and also the difficulty of mission, of a Church that perhaps possesses little, but is rich in great faith. Therefore, I invite you to maintain a missionary heart. It is a precious gift that the Lord has placed in your hands and that can become even greater in your episcopal ministry. The missionary Bishop has a heart open to all: not only to those who attend our parishes, but also to Christians of other denominations, to believers of other religions, to people who do not profess a faith, to all men and women of good will. He listens and respects everyone, he draws close to everyone and knows how to recognize the good present in each person's heart.

St. Augustine, speaking to his people, said: " Vobis enim sum episcopus, vobiscum sum christianus "—you all know this, I think—"for you […] I am a bishop, with you I am a Christian" ( Sermo 340 , 1). Let us walk with our people: let us pray with them, let us listen to the Word with them, let us celebrate the Eucharist with them. Let us seek the face of the Lord with them every day.

Dearest brothers and sisters, as you return to your Churches, carry with you this certainty: the Lord, who called you, is faithful. He will precede you on the road, accompany you on your journey, and, with the gift of his Holy Spirit, give you light each day. And may Mary, Mother of the Church, always protect you and the people entrusted to your care. Thank you.