Pope Francis encourages new bishops to be ‘humble servants’

September 21, 2018

by Theresa Laurence, Tennessee Register

Bishop J. Mark Spalding of Nashville traveled to Rome earlier this month with 143 other recently appointed bishops from around the world for a new bishop formation course.

Photo courtesy of L’Osservatore Romano

With Pope Francis’ encyclical “Evangelii Gaudium” as a guide, the new bishops heard lectures and participated in group dialogue on a range of topics, from supporting priests to lifting up migrants, refugees and other vulnerable people.

From the beginning of the conference, speakers made sure to address the Church’s clergy sex abuse scandal, Bishop Spalding said.

“They encouraged new bishops to be vigilant and receptive to what people are saying and take that consultation and criticism seriously,” he said. Bishops were told to “never fail to keep this as a priority, but also to carry out our other duties, such as preaching the gospel and reaching out to those on the margins.”

Meeting and speaking with other bishops from around the globe, including a number of developing countries, Bishop Spalding learned more about how dioceses in different parts of the world are coping with their own crises. Bishops in the Middle East are faced with a dwindling Christian population; bishops from the Philippines must deal with hostile political leaders.

Bishops in these regions and elsewhere are also confronting “profound poverty,” Bishop Spalding said, “asking, how does the Church address that?”

Bishop Spalding said he enjoyed getting to know new bishops from the U.S. “who will be there to share the great blessings and the trials and tribulations” of the role. “It helps to know you’re not alone and you can learn from others,” he said.

The lectures, mostly delivered by Italian-speaking priests with translations piped into individual bishops’ headphones in their native languages, covered the theological, spiritual and practical aspects of the role of a bishop.

Since Bishop Spalding had served as vicar general and judicial vicar in the Archdiocese of Louisville before being named Bishop of Nashville, he had some idea about the practical aspects of carrying out the duties of bishop, and served as moderator for some discussion groups during the conference. “Those roles prepared me to answer some of the practical questions about being a bishop,” he said.

Meeting so many new bishops, Bishop Spalding said, it was clear to him that Pope Francis “is choosing pastors more and more as bishops around the world,” priest who have parish experience rather than roles at the chancery.

Some of his favorite sessions of the conference addressed bishops’ relationships with priests, “how to support them, especially when they are having difficulty,” Bishop Spalding said.

Bishops were also encouraged in their pastoral roles and reminded “not to get caught up in bureaucracy,” he said.

On a free day, Bishop Spalding was able to visit the Pontifical North American College where Diocese of Nashville seminarians Deacon Rhodes Bolster and Luke Wilgenbusch are studying.

“These are solid, smart, good guys and the diocese is extremely blessed to have their ordinations coming up,” Bishop Spalding said.

On Sept. 13, the final day of the conference, the new bishops had a private audience with Pope Francis, and each had a chance to personally greet him. The pope spoke to the bishops at length and “encouraged us to be a bishop with a compassionate heart,” Bishop Spalding said. “Even in these challenging times of the Church, we need to be mindful of God’s love, and that we serve as humble servants of the people.”

Bishop Spalding said that when his turn came to greet Pope Francis, he mustered up his best Italian to thank him for his ministry. But after a moment, the pope, smiling from ear to ear, told Bishop Spalding in clear English, “I want you to pray for me.”

That encounter reminded Bishop Spalding that all members of the Body of Christ, “bishops, as much as anybody, need prayers and God’s mercy.”