Apostolic Nuncio Urges Indian Bishops to Balance Compassion and Justice

Bangalore, Feb 3, 2025: Calling on Catholic bishops to hold together compassion, justice and responsibility in leadership, the Apostolic Nuncio to India, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, delivered the message during the inaugural Holy Mass of the 37th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru.

Referring to the Second Book of Samuel, he spoke on the tragic aftermath of the battle in which King David’s rebellious son Absalom was killed. The passage, he said, highlighted parental grief, divine judgment, conflicting loyalties, leadership struggles, and the painful duty of conveying truth. David’s lament—“O my son Absalom”—revealed a father’s deep love for a son who betrayed him, underscoring the tension between paternal compassion and royal responsibility. God’s justice, he observed, often unfolds through painful human events, while David’s forgiveness of those who betrayed him illustrated reconciliation and mercy, which lie at the heart of the Gospel.

Drawing a parallel to episcopal ministry, the Nuncio said bishops, like David, may experience sorrow over rebellious priests, where fatherly love can conflict with the demands of justice, discipline, and duty. He urged that love and compassion prevail in such moments.

Reflecting on the Gospel from St. Mark, Archbishop Girelli highlighted the two miracle narratives—the healing of the woman with a hemorrhage and the restoration of life—worked by Jesus in response to trusting faith. The woman, he said, broke social barriers as a last resort after exhausting all known cures, and by touching Jesus’ garment was healed not only physically but restored fully to life in all dimensions of her humanity. In the second miracle, Jesus’ divine power was revealed through His compassionate heart.

Addressing the bishops directly, the Nuncio stressed that faith in God’s goodness and mercy is sustained only through a life of prayer. Citing the counsel attributed to St Ignatius of Loyola—“work as if everything depends on us, but pray as if everything depends on God”—he invited the bishops to bring their weaknesses and spiritual wounds to Christ for healing, so they may live in harmony with those around them.

He also called for gratitude for the gift of good health, enabling effective pastoral ministry, and reminded the bishops of their responsibility for the well-being and spiritual health of those entrusted to them. With humility, he said, they are called to embody Christ’s healing and compassionate presence, especially toward the lost, the marginalised, and the faithless.

Concluding his homily, Archbishop Girelli invoked the example of saints and martyrs whose feast was being celebrated, praying that they inspire the bishops to remain faithful to Christ, trust in God’s healing power, and become instruments of compassion for others.

By Catholic Connect Reporter