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January 30, 2024My beloved predecessor, His Excellency Paul Hinder, was consecrated bishop in Abu Dhabi twenty years ago. He began his service in Arabia, first as Auxiliary to Bishop Gremoli and subsequently as Apostolic Vicar of Arabia. He was consecrated twenty years ago by the then-prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe.
Today, we gather around the Lord to thank the Lord for Bishop Paul and to thank him for his long teaching and faithful pastoral service. The Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Christophe El-Kassis, is with us, whom we sincerely thank for having accepted the invitation, the priests of the vicariate, the deacon, the consecrated sisters, and the holy people of God.
This is a beautiful opportunity to listen first to the sacred scripture and welcome the words that describe the figure of the shepherd. We listened to the Gospel of John, which immediately takes us to the center of the evangelical message, presenting Jesus as the good shepherd. Bishops and priests are called to be a humble sign of Jesus the Good Shepherd. He continues to be present in his Church and to guide us according to the mysterious plans of God.
The fundamental characteristic of the shepherd is his love for the flock: I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.
The Gospel gives us the contrasts between the good shepherd with those who exploit the flock for their own interests. The mercenary uses the flock to increase his power and wealth. But when the moment of danger arrives, he runs away because he doesn't care about the sheep and only cares about his business. The good shepherd instead gives his life for his sheep. He offers himself for the salvation of the flock. The good shepherd does not run away. He has no other interest than the good of his people. He remains with him. Jesus taught us that the greatest love is to give one's life to others.
Certainly, Monsignor Paul was and is for us a sign of this love that remains, which gives life comfort and instills courage. Even today, although he has concluded his ministry as Apostolic Vicar, he allowed himself to be held back by his successor so that he could continue to walk with us, supporting us with his commitment and wisdom.
The Gospel of John suggests another fundamental trait of the Good Shepherd: love is always linked to knowledge. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me. According to the Bible, knowing is an expression of love: only those who love can truly know the other deeply. Shepherd and flock are called to know and love each other. Jesus knows us more than anyone else because he loves us more than anyone else. For Jesus, we are not numbers or photocopies but people. We are children of God. He knows us by name, one by one. He gave his life for me, for you, for each of us, for every man and every woman.
Furthermore, the gospel tells us about the unity of the whole flock. The shepherd cares about the unity of all the faithful: There will be only one flock and one shepherd. We who live in this part of the world and form one Church are made up of faithful who come from many parts of the world and we understand well what a challenge it is to be one flock. But this is not primarily our effort: love has the strength to unite those who are different. Jesus unites us all in his love for him. We thank Bishop Paul for his extraordinary commitment as a pastor to keep the flock of the Lord united, the flock that was entrusted to him.
Finally, what makes the pastor's vocation to serve the people of God possible? The words of the prophet Isaiah we heard in the first reading answers this question. The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison.
No bishop could ever think of being a sign of Jesus, the good shepherd, if he had not received the anointing of the Holy Spirit and if he was not docile to the gift of the Spirit. Today, remembering the twentieth anniversary of Bishop Paul's episcopal ordination, we precisely remember the anointing of the Spirit that marked him indelibly for the mission of a pastor.
May the Lord renew the gift of the Spirit in all his priests so that they may be shepherds at the service of the flock. May the Lord renew the gifts of the Spirit in the people so that through charisms and ministries, they can collaborate with the bishop for the life and mission of the Church.
To describe this significant relationship between the bishop and the people, I would like to conclude by recalling that the Holy Father's visit to Abu Dhabi was exactly five years ago. Pope Francis, celebrating mass at the stadium, during the homily referring to Bishop Paul, said these words: It struck me what Bishop Hinder once said: that he not only feels himself to be your shepherd but that you, by your example, are often shepherds to him. Thank you for that!
I, too, would like to repeat these words this evening. Bishop Paul's success in being a good shepherd was the constant closeness, support, and love of God's holy people.
Thank you, Bishop Paul, thank you for your testimony, and thank you for still being with us. May our Lady of Arabia pray for us all.See the pictures of the celebration
Watch the video looking back at these 20 years as Bishop
