Vatican City, Jun 17, 2011 / 10:05 am
Bishops should build “bonds of fraternal love and mutual concern” with their priests so that “any tensions that may arise” will quickly be overcome, Pope Benedict XVI told a delegation of Indian bishops visiting him at the Vatican on June 17.
“You are to be supportive of your priests, your closest collaborators, and to be attentive to their needs and aspirations, showing solicitude for their spiritual, intellectual and material well-being,” the Pope said.
There are an estimated 20,000 priests spread throughout India’s 164 dioceses. That makes the Indian bishops conference the fourth largest in the world. In fact, their visits to meet the Pope every five years – called “ad limina” visits – have to be staggered over four different sessions, with today’s visit being the last of the four groups.
Pope Benedict reminded the group of bishops present today of the obedience promised to them by their priests upon ordination.