To the Plenary Assembly of the Spanish Bishops' Conference (31 October 1982)

On Sunday, 31 October 1982, the Holy Father addressed the Plenary Assembly of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, speaking of the role of a Bishop as “the one who, having matured in the evangelical life and in the imitation of Jesus Christ, draws others and helps them walk towards the same maturity.” 

Dear brothers of the Episcopate.

1. At the beginning of my apostolic journey to Spain, I have the joy of celebrating the meeting which has had a place of prominence in all my pilgrimages: that of the one who, by a mysterious plan of Providence, is head of the Episcopal College (cf. Lumen Gentium , 22; Christus Dominus , 3) with his brothers, members of the same College and of a specific Episcopal Conference.

The moment we live in ideally reproduces those in which Peter stands up among his brothers (cf. Acts 1, 15) or "with the eleven" ( Acts 2, 14) or exhorts the elders , an elder himself, to feed the flock of God (cf. 1 Pt 5, 1). For the successor of Peter, this moment is once strong in his mission as "perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity, both of the Bishops and of the multitude of the faithful" ( Lumen Gentium , 23).

2. The apostle Saint John addressed the "angels" of the seven Churches of Asia, that is, the Churches themselves, to implore them "grace and peace from him who was and from him who is to come". . .”, “and of Jesus Christ, the true witness” ( Rev 1, 4-5). I too want to address, in the person of their Bishops, a greeting that comes from the bottom of my heart to each of the 65 Churches of Spain.

God knows my greatest wish would be to visit them all, large and small, old and young. Not being able to do so, due to obvious time constraints, I would like this meeting to be like a spiritual presence in every diocese of Spain.

In your recent " ad limina " visits, you were aware of bringing with you the members of your particular Churches. Now Peter comes to you to return your visit.

Grace, therefore, and peace to the Church that is in Barcelona, ​​to its Pastor and to the auxiliary bishops.

Grace and peace to the Church of Burgos, to its Ordinary and to the Bishops and dioceses of Bilbao, Osma-Soria, Palencia and Vitoria.

Grace and peace to the Church of God in Granada, to its Pastor and to the Prelates, with the dioceses of Almería, Cartagena, Cadiz, Jaén and Málaga-Melilla.

Peace and grace to the Church in Madrid, to its Pastor and to the auxiliary bishops.

Peace and grace to the Church that is in Oviedo, to its Pastor and Auxiliary and to the Bishops and the diocese of Astorga, León and Santander.

Peace and grace to the Church of God in Pamplona, ​​to its Pastor and to the Ordinaries and to the diocese of Calahorra and la Calzada and Logroño, Jaca and San Sebastián.

Grace and peace to the Church that is in Santiago de Compostela, to its Ordinary and Auxiliary, and to the Bishops of Lugo, Mondoñedo-El Ferrol, Orense and Tuy-Vigo, with their respective dioceses.

Grace and peace to the Church of God in Seville, to its Pastor, to its ancient Pastor, and to the Bishops and dioceses of Badajoz, Cadiz-Ceuta, Cordoba, Huelva, Canary Islands, Tenerife and Jerez of the Frontier. Grace and peace to the Church that is in Tarragona, to its Ordinary and to the Prelates and dioceses of Gerona, Lérida, Solsona, Tortosa, Urgel and Vich. Peace and grace to the Church of God which is in Toledo, to its Pastor and to the Bishops and dioceses of the Royal City, Coria-Cáceres, Cuenca, Plasencia and Sigüenza-Guadalajara.

Peace and grace to the Church that is in Valencia, to its Ordinary and to those of Albacete, Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca, Orihuela-Alicante and Segorbe-Castellón, with their dioceses.

Peace and grace to the Church of Christ in Valladolid, to its Pastor and to the Bishops of Avila, Rodrigo City, Salamanca, Segovia and Zamora, with their respective dioceses.

Grace and peace to the Church of God in Zaragoza, to its Ordinary and to the Bishops and dioceses of Barbastro, Huesca, Tarazona and Teruel-Albarracín.

Finally, peace and grace from the Father of mercies and God of all consolation (cf. 2 Cor 1, 3) to all the ancient diocesan Pastors of Spain, who today live their donation to the Church and the flock in love and prayer of Christ whom they had entrusted.

These greetings, which are not intended to be mere words of courtesy, but an expression of fraternal affection, continue in the message that the Bishop of Rome is pleased to transmit to his brothers in the Episcopate of these lands of Spain.

Let's leave the Second Vatican Council to speak about this, the twentieth anniversary of which we are commemorating and which so well outlined the mission of the Bishop in the Churches. The conciliar documents speak, especially the luminous pages of the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium.

Dispensers of grace

3. “In this way the Bishops, with prayer and work for the people, in various ways abundantly pour out the fullness of the holiness of Christ” ( Lumen Gentium , 26).

This mission of sanctifier is inherent in the mission of the Bishops. They are by vocation “perfectores” (cf. Christus Dominus , 15). That is, the Bishop is the one who, having matured in the evangelical life and in the imitation of Jesus Christ, draws others and helps them walk towards the same maturity. Or, more precisely, he who, by example and testimony, word, prayer and sacraments, communicates to others the fullness of life in Christ that he seeks to have in himself.

We hope from them - God and the Church hope so! - who "study to help their priests, religious and lay people advance in the path of holiness", knowing that, for this reason, "they are required to give the first example of holiness, in charity, humility and simplicity of life ” ( Christus Dominus , 15). Indeed, Bishops sanctify their flock not only as administrators of the sacraments and preachers of the revealed Word, but also by their example and holiness. Following the steps of the Good Shepherd, the Bishops must say with Christ: "For their sake I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in the truth" ( Jn 17, 19).

Faced with this work of sanctifier which is, ultimately, his highest task, every Bishop will have to feel, vibrating in the depths of his soul, some fundamental questions. To find out if the image of him that is most imprinted on the faithful is that of a man of God, devoted and self-sacrificing, imbued with the Gospel and radiating it. If he is always, in a particular way, a teacher of prayer, transparency and revelation of the face of God for his diocesan people. And to what extent he is and appears as the “ Liturgus ” of his diocese, the one who goes ahead of his people in adoration of the Lord, the one who promotes and directs divine worship in his local Church.

I am sure that the greatest joy of a Pastor of the Church of Jesus Christ, who seeks his own perfection, is that which arises from the growth of his children in holiness. The apostle Saint John wrote it at the end of his life. “I have no greater joy than this, to know that my children walk in the truth” ( 3 John   4).

The episcopal diakonia

4. “The office that the Lord entrusted to the Pastors of his people is a true service, which in Sacred Scripture is significantly called " diaconia ", that is, ministry”, we read in Lumen Gentium itself ( Lumen Gentium , 24).

The Fathers of the Church, the great spiritual masters such as Saint John of Avila, Louis of Granada and many others; the authentic theologians of yesterday and today have all been able to draw from the Gospel the substantial teaching of Christ regarding pastoral service: "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve" ( Mt 20, 28 and Mt 23 , 11); “Let the greatest among you be your servant” ( Mt 23, 11).

The Council returns to insist in our days on the same call to the spirit of service. He does so with a particular tone when speaking about the Bishops. For this reason, when, seeking light for his path, a Bishop reads and meditates on these writings, he feels invited to meditate - with simplicity, humility and joy of heart - on his way of being and acting in relation to pastoral diakonia. That is, if he carries out his mission as a Pastor, inspired by a real desire to serve the brothers and children entrusted to his care. If his concrete actions translate this desire. If those of whom he is Pastor have the conviction that they find in him a true servant. And he cannot help but ask himself, in the depths of his heart, the most urgent question: If he is perfectly attentive, in every moment and circumstance, to his responsibility, however burdensome it may be, as a teacher and pastor. And if he manages to exercise his authority in the spirit of service, but without abdicating the truth, even though this involves sacrifices.

Teachers and preachers

5. “Among the main duties of Bishops - we read again in Lumen Gentium - the preaching of the Gospel stands out” ( Lumen Gentium , 25). This priority given to the episcopal task of preaching is a characteristic of the ecclesiology of Vatican II. Because the Bishops, adds the Council, “are the heralds of the faith who bring new disciples to Christ and are authentic teachers, that is, endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach the faith to be believed to the people entrusted to them. . .; when they teach in communion with the Roman Pontiff, they must be listened to with veneration by all as witnesses of divine and Catholic truth" ( Ibid. ).

The People of God needs Bishops who are well aware of this mission and assiduous in it. Believers, to progress in their faith; those who doubt or become disoriented, to find firmness and security; those who perhaps moved away, to return to living their adherence to the Lord.

The Bishop must provide this service to truth and the Christian faith without ambiguity. I am therefore happy that this service to the faith, as a priority objective of your Conference for the coming years, has been chosen as the theme for your latest plenary assemblies.

In this regard, an important part of the episcopal function today will consist in correctly applying, without deviation due to lack or excess, the teachings of the last Ecumenical Council . Taking into account the indications brought by subsequent pontifical documents and, in a special way, by those which are the fruit of the work of each Synod of Bishops.

Without anxiety, serenely, but with a lively awareness of a duty connected to the mission received from God and sealed by sacramental consecration, every Bishop must allow himself to be internally questioned about those acts in which this duty is translated: attention, the spirit of faith and the love with which he announces the Word of God; the importance given to the Pastoral Letters, trying to make them, as well as substantial, suitable for the language of today's man, understandable and attractive; the way in which he uses the means of social communication, so that they are true multipliers of his human word and vehicle of the Word of God; the relationships he maintains with theologians, both to encourage them and, if necessary, to help them rectify any deviations.

Happy is the Bishop who will be able to draw, if not reasons for complete satisfaction, at least reasons for serenity from the sincere answers to these questions; the serenity of a duty carried out without fear, without discouragement, without pauses.

An important field in which to apply your service to the faith is that of theological research and teaching of the sacred sciences. You have a serious responsibility to ensure that the truth of the doctrine and its transmission are respected, in agreement with the Magisterium.

Consequently you cannot forget the publications of a theological and moral nature, which have such an influence on the faith of the people.

I know you feel the responsibility to accomplish this task. I know that in the same way you are vigilant to guarantee sound doctrine in catechesis and in religious school texts. Do not fail in your commitment. A good part of the Christian formation of young people and adults depends on this concern.

I know that you are sensitive to the problems facing your people, and that you know well. I ask God that your pastoral zeal always feel ready to face with clarity of faith - and with respect for the proper autonomy of the temporal order - the doctrinal and moral questions that believers must face in every historical moment.

Because Christians cannot leave their faith aside when collaborating in the construction of the temporal city. It is enough to think of the defense and protection of life from its conception, the stability of marriage and the family, the freedom of teaching and the right to receive religious instruction in schools, the promotion of values ​​that moralize public life, the establishment of justice in labor relations. Very important fields - among others - which you Bishops cannot fail to illuminate with the Christian light. Because wherever there is a man who suffers pain, injustice, poverty or violence, there must be the voice of the Church with her vigilant charity, and with the action of Christians.

At the service of unity

6. Every Bishop in his local Church - as Lumen Gentium says - is "the visible principle and foundation of unity" ( Lumen Gentium , 23).

This, among the essential traits of the Bishop's physiognomy, is the first that the Council wanted to accentuate. And in doing so it is in perfect coherence with his ecclesiological doctrine. Since if it is true that the Church is the sacrament of communion, it is natural that the Bishop is first of all a servant, advocate, promoter and defender of unity in the Church.

This humble and persevering service to communion is, without any doubt, the most demanding and delicate, but also the most precious and indispensable, as it means service to an essential dimension of the Church and its mission in the world.

This communion is not a simple coincidence in statistically verifiable facts, but is first of all unity in Christ and in his doctrine: in faith and morality, in the sacraments, in obedience to the Hierarchy, in the common means of holiness and in the great norms of discipline, according to the well-known Augustinian principle: " in necessitasunitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas ".

This profound unity will also allow you to intensify the joint use of forces so that priests, religious, members of Secular Institutes, apostolic groups and small communities always act united among themselves and with a clear awareness of coordination of energy that the good performance of local Churches requires; so that these, without neglecting their specific problems, never close in on themselves, nor lose sight of the universal perspective of the Church.

But above all, it must lead you to the necessary harmony in the fields most exposed to division today: in preaching on family morality, in the necessary observance of the liturgical norms that regulate the celebration of Mass, Eucharistic worship or the administration of the sacraments. In this regard I want to remind you of the correct application of the rules that refer to collective acquittals, avoiding the abuses that can be introduced.

We, placed by the Lord as guarantors of ecclesial communion, cannot help but question ourselves daily on the way in which we live and exercise this mission, that is: If we always have a clear conscience regarding our duty to be builders of unity.

If we realize that preserving unity, sometimes in the midst of conflicts, does not mean skillfully accommodating the parties in disagreement, but leading them through evangelical paths to reconciliation, mutual understanding and finally to renewed communion, as the fruit of research, perhaps difficult, of truth in charity. If we try to be above the factions with the necessary sense of balance, without this meaning comfortable neutrality, in order to be able to attract both to the one and true principle of ecclesial unity. If we know how to be patient and magnanimous, persevering and generous in the search for unity.

Generous and vigilant shepherds

7. Among the many enlightening words of the Council to the Bishops, I do not want to fail to read these words with you: “The Bishop, sent by the Father of the family to govern his family, should keep the example of the Good Shepherd before his eyes. . . Taken from among men and subject to weaknesses, he can benignly pity those who sin, through ignorance or error. . . Having to give an account to God for their souls, let him take care of them with prayer, preaching and every work of charity” ( Lumen Gentium , 27).

It is very significant that the Council calls the Bishop, combining two similar terms, Father and Pastor. Because, in effect, he must go before his faithful with the affection of a father and the concern of a shepherd. To indicate paths, prevent dangers and defend against ambushes.

With this spirit he will try to get to know, as far as possible, each of those entrusted to him, and will strive to lead everyone towards an increasingly active and personal participation in the life of the local Church.

When, to thank God for his call to pastoral service or to be even more faithful to it, the Bishop examines his own life and activity, he cannot help but ask the questions that best reflect his commitment to faithfulness towards Him who called him, and of donation towards those who were entrusted to him.

To ensure that he always has the heart of a father towards those the Father entrusted to him. To always combine the authority that comes from God with goodness, meekness and piety. To adequately exercise his mission as a father and pastor with priests, religious, lay people, men and women, adults and young people, learned and illiterate, rich and poor. To strive, through intimate contact with the Good Shepherd, to renew his pastoral soul, preparing for new initiatives and to grow in the qualities required of those who must shepherd a flock not of him, but of Jesus Christ.

Dear brothers: while in fraternal coexistence we meditate and allow ourselves to be questioned about our common vocation in the Church and in the world, I could not help but give thanks to God for your effort in this direction. And at the same time I ask the High Priest, Jesus, to grant you abundant graces that support you in your generous ministry and profound love for the Church.

Your country, which is experiencing a large-scale socio-cultural transition and seeks new paths of progress; who desires justice and peace; who fears, like the others, the risk of losing his identity; this country, and above all the Church that journeys towards the Father in it, will give infinite thanks to God if they always find in you teachers, fathers, guides, pastors, inspirers of spiritual energies as the Council outlined them.

8. My brothers: we must conclude this meeting. I do it with a strong reminder of hope. This hope is intended to be my first message to the Church in Spain. Because - let me tell you - despite the chiaroscuro, the shadows and the ups and downs of the present moment, I trust and hope a lot from the Church in Spain . I trust in you, in your priests, men and women religious. I trust in young people and families, whose Christian virtues must be, as in the past, a source of vocations.

A Church that is capable of offering the world a story like yours, and the canonization - on the same day - of such singular and universal children as Teresa of Jesus, Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier (with many others, before and after), he was unable to exhaust his spiritual and ecclesial riches . Proof of continuity is the forthcoming beatification of Sister Angela della Croce.

With this confidence I encourage you to continue to feed your flock, as you have done in particular moments; to always go ahead of it by example, to give it, in any circumstance, security and new vigor.

9. For me, the solid devotion that this people, with their Pastors in the front row, professes privately and publicly to the Mother of God and our Mother is a particular reason for hope .

You belong to a land that has always been able to defend the glories of Mary with faith, science and piety: from her Immaculate Conception to her glorious Assumption body and soul into heaven, passing through her perpetual virginity. Don't forget this trait of yours. As long as this is your distinctive character, you will be in good hands. You have nothing to fear.

Jesus, complete model of Shepherds, Son of Mary, may always help you. I cordially bless you in his name.

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Copyright © Dicastery for Communication - Libreria Editrice Vaticana