WASHINGTON — Lasting about 45 minutes, it was one of the longest addresses delivered by Pope Francis during his visit to the U.S., but it was also perhaps the most important.
Praying the midday prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours on Wednesday, Sept. 23, with a large assembly of U.S. bishops at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Pope Francis followed with a homily in which he encouraged the bishops to extend to their flocks his unfailing support so that “no member of Christ’s Body and the American people feel excluded from the Pope’s embrace.”
“Whenever a hand reaches out to do good or to show the love of Christ, to dry a tear or bring comfort to the lonely, to show the way to one who is lost or to console a broken heart, to help the fallen or to teach those thirsting for truth, to forgive or to offer a new start in God… know that the Pope is at your side, the Pope supports you. He puts his hand on your own, a hand wrinkled with age, but by God’s grace still able to support and encourage,” Pope Francis told the bishops.
As the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis spoke to the bishops as “a brother among brothers,” noting that he did not come to judge them or lecture them.
He thanked the bishops for their solidarity with the Holy See and the support they give to the spread of the Gospel in many suffering areas of the world, as well as for their support of life and family issues and the welcoming of immigrants to these shores.
“I appreciate the unfailing commitment of the Church in America to the cause of life and that of the family, which is the primary reason for my present visit. I am well aware of the immense efforts you have made to welcome and integrate those immigrants who continue to look to America, like so many others before them, in the hope of enjoying its blessings of freedom and prosperity,” the pope said.
He also addressed the issue of clergy sexual abuse, noting the courage of those who have gone to great lengths in “divesting whatever is unessential in order to regain the authority and trust which is demanded of ministers of Christ and rightly expected by the faithful.”
“I realize how much the pain of recent years has weighed upon you and I have supported your generous commitment to bring healing to victims – in the knowledge that we too are healed – and to work to ensure that such crimes will never be repeated,” the pope said.
Before concluding, the pope offered to the bishops two recommendations he said were close to his heart. The first refers to their fatherhood as bishops.
“Be pastors close to people, pastors who are neighbors and servants. Let this closeness be expressed in a special way towards your priests. Support them, so that they can continue to serve Christ with an undivided heart, for this alone can bring fulfillment to ministers of Christ. I urge you, then, not to let them be content with half-measures. Find ways to encourage their spiritual growth, lest they yield to the temptation to become notaries and bureaucrats, but instead reflect the motherhood of the Church, which gives birth to and raises her sons and daughters. Be vigilant lest they tire of getting up to answer those who knock on their door by night, just when they feel entitled to rest,” he said, quoting from the Gospel of St. Luke.
His second recommendation was to support the cause of immigrants.
“Even today, no American institution does more for immigrants than your Christian communities. Now you are facing this stream of Latin immigration which affects many of your dioceses. Not only as the Bishop of Rome, but also as a pastor from the South, I feel the need to thank and encourage you,” Pope Francis said.
“Perhaps it will not be easy for you to look into their soul; perhaps you will be challenged by their diversity. But know that they also possess resources meant to be shared. So do not be afraid to welcome them. Offer them the warmth of the love of Christ and you will unlock the mystery of their heart. I am certain that, as so often in the past, these people will enrich America and its Church.”
Later on Wednesday, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin sat down for an interview with Rhode Island Catholic to offer his personal reflections on Pope Francis, having encountered him at both the Midday Prayer Service and the Canonization Mass for Blessed Junipero Serra which followed at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Pope Francis led both of these events following his official visit to the White House earlier that morning and the parade around the Ellipse afterward, making for a very long day for the 78-year-old pontiff, who showed little sign that the demanding schedule was wearing on him.
“His stamina is remarkable,” Bishop Tobin said of Pope Francis.
Although he was seated not far from the pope as the pontiff entered the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Bishop Tobin said most bishops did not have the opportunity to greet Francis personally.
But seeing the pope in person for him is very different than viewing him on the television news.
“You can really see his expression, you see the passion,” he said.
From the pope’s midday homily, the bishop believes that Francis has a very good understanding of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S., and that he is pleased with its mission.
“He made it very clear that he was very happy with the Church. He recognized the vitality of the Church in the U.S.,” he said.
Further, Bishop Tobin said he and his fellow bishops feel supported by the pope and empowered to help him in his ministry.
“I was made to feel that I was the bridge between the Holy Father and the faithful in the Diocese of Providence,” Bishop Tobin said.
