VATICAN CITY Pope Francis on Thursday re-emphasized his vision of who should be chosen as Catholic bishops around the world, telling the Vatican office responsible for their selection he wants prelates who are genuine pastors and who will argue with God on behalf of [their] people. In a nearly 3,000-word text to the Vaticans Congregation for Bishops, Francis tells the office they should not look for bishops based on any preferences, likes, or trends and likewise should not seek prelates who are mainly concerned with doctrinal matters. The church, writes Francis, needs guardians of doctrine not so as to measure how far the world is from doctrinal truth but to appeal to the world to charm it with the beauty of love [and] to seduce it with the freedom bestowed by the Gospel. * The church does not need apologists of its causes nor crusaders of its battles, but sowers humble and confident of the truth, who ... trust of its power, the pontiff continues. Francis words Thursday, made during the congregations weekly meeting, mostly reaffirm themes the pope has touched on over the past year when speaking of the role of bishops around the world.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 23:15:57 +0000
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