Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has called on Bishops ordained within the past year to live their ministry as a humble service to the People of God, reminding them that their consecration is not for themselves but for the Gospel. Addressing participants in the annual Formation Course for new Bishops, which concluded in Rome on Thursday, the Pope underlined that episcopal identity is inseparable from the mission of service.
The Holy Father began his reflection by reminding the newly consecrated Bishops that they have been chosen, called, and sent not for personal prestige but to nourish the faith of the Church. “The gift you have received is not for yourselves, but to serve the cause of the Gospel,” he said, urging them to guard against pride and self-centeredness.
Pope Leo emphasized that service is not a superficial duty but a defining mark of episcopal life. True service, he explained, requires “inner freedom, poverty of spirit, and a readiness for service born of love,” reflecting Christ’s own choice to become poor in order to enrich humanity. God, he added, revealed Himself not in power but in love, calling Bishops into the same communion of humility.
Recalling the wisdom of St. Augustine, the Pope noted that Bishops, though placed in authority, must recognize themselves as “servants of many.” He urged them to watch over their communities with humility and to ground their ministry in prayerful attentiveness.
In continuity with Pope Francis, his predecessor, Pope Leo reaffirmed the need for Bishops to remain close to their people as a tangible expression of God’s care. Such closeness, he said, should shape pastoral governance, preaching, and personal witness. “The Church sends you as caring, attentive shepherds who know how to share the journey, the questions, the anxieties, and the hopes of the people,” he told them.
The Pope also addressed contemporary pastoral and social challenges. He highlighted the crisis of faith and declining religious practice as urgent calls for courageous Gospel proclamation. At the same time, Bishops must not neglect broader issues, including war, violence, poverty, ethical dilemmas, and the universal longing for fraternity and solidarity.
“Shepherds are not distant figures,” the Pope reminded them, “but guides, fathers, and brothers to priests, to consecrated men and women, and to all the faithful.”
Concluding his address, Pope Leo XIV prayed that the new Bishops may be sustained by the Spirit in their ministry: “May you never lack the wind of the Spirit, and may the joy of your Ordination, like a sweet fragrance, spread over those whom you are going to serve.”
With these words, the Pope entrusted the Bishops to their mission of embodying Christ’s service a mission defined by humility, prayer, and faithful closeness to the People of God.