«Η διακονία του Επισκόπου απαιτεί να ζει με την καρδιά στον ουρανό και τα πόδια στον δρόμο»

Pope Leo XIV wrote a letter to the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean to mark the third centenary of the canonization of their patron, Saint Toribius de Mogrovejo. In the letter published on September 19, the Pope reflected on the duties of a bishop by connecting the steps of a bishop's welcome ceremony in a cathedral to his entrusted mission.

The Pope suggested that a bishop must live with his heart in heaven and his feet on the road. He noted that a bishop's first meeting with the faithful at the cathedral entrance is with a community that has already established its own path. To understand this community deeply, the Pope said a bishop must walk among the people, following the example of Saint Toribius, who built bonds with the land and the people by evangelizing in local languages.

The letter also describes the bishop's ministry as a balance between caring for spiritual life and addressing local realities that may not reach a bishop's office. The Pope used images such as the transformative power of prayer and the guidance of the Apostolic Letters to describe how a bishop should serve his community without being hindered by personal interests or fears.