Bishops urged to lead with pastoral care, not authority

Monday, October 14th, 2024

Theologians advising the Synod of Bishops have emphasised the need for diocesan bishops to adopt a more pastoral and collaborative leadership style and avoid a monarchical approach.

“The bishop is not the lord of the church, but the servant of the Lord, at the service of his community” Father Carlos María Galli, a Catholic University of Argentina professor, told synod participants and public members at a forum on October 9.

The forum “The Role and Authority of the Bishop in a Synodal Church” is part of a series on the theological foundations of synodality.

Over 200 participants including numerous cardinals and bishops attended the discussion. They and members of the public engaged in dialogue with the five theologians who made presentations.

The discussions acknowledged the heavy and stressful administrative and pastoral burdens placed on bishops.

However, the Synod’s working document clarified that the role of a bishop is not one of power but to unify the diverse gifts of the Church. Bishops are called to foster communion among the faithful, not to act as sole authorities.

Prioritise pastoral care

Father Matteo Visioli, a canon law professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, noted that all the baptised share in the mission of the Church. He called on bishops to delegate certain tasks and involve the laity in governance. This should not be as a matter of permission but because of their baptismal rights.

The theologians urged bishops to embrace a collaborative, synodal approach to leadership and prioritise their pastoral mission over administrative duties.

Sister Liliana Franco Echeverri, a member of the Company of Mary and president of the Confederation of Latin American and Caribbean Religious, told the bishops “We do not want your administrative tasks to take away from your most authentic vocation: to be a pastor, a caretaker who makes decisions with love”.

“You, too, are disciples,” she told them. “Your first mission is to be a witness of the Gospel.”

Pope Francis recently called for a re-examination of the role of bishops in the Catholic Church. He emphasised the need for greater collaboration with laypeople.

“Never can a bishop, or any other Christian, think of himself ‘without others’” the pope said. “Just as no one is saved alone, the proclamation of salvation needs everyone and requires that everyone be heard.”