Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

At midday today, Second Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father Leo XIV appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.

The following are the Pope’s words of introduction to the Marian prayer:

 

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

Today’s Gospel paints a radiant picture for all of us as it recounts the Transfiguration of the Lord (cf.  Mt  17:1-9). In this depiction, the Evangelist draws on the Apostles’ memories, portraying Christ between Moses and Elijah. The Word made flesh stands between the Law and the Prophets: he is living Wisdom, who brings every divine word to fulfillment. Everything that God has commanded to and inspired in human beings finds its full and definitive expression in Jesus.

Just as on the day of his baptism in the Jordan, so too today on the mountain we hear the voice of the Father proclaiming, “This is my beloved Son,” while the Holy Spirit envelops Jesus in a “bright cloud” ( Mt  17:5). The Gospel uses this unique expression to describe how God reveals himself. When he manifests himself, the Lord makes his abundance visible to our gaze: standing before Jesus, whose face shines “like the sun” and whose clothes become “as white as light” (cf. v. 2), the disciples behold the human splendor of God. Peter, James and John contemplate a humble glory, which is not displayed as a spectacle for the crowds to see, but in solemn intimacy.

The Transfiguration foreshadows the light of Easter: an event of death and resurrection, of darkness and new light that Christ radiates on all bodies scourged by violence, crucified by pain, or abandoned in misery. Indeed, while evil reduces our flesh to a commodity or an anonymous mass, this same flesh shines with the glory of God. The Redeemer thus transfigures the wounds of history, enlightening our minds and hearts: his revelation is a gift of salvation! Does this captivate us? Do we see the true face of God with a gaze of wonder and love?

The Father’s reply to the despair of atheism is the gift of his Son, the Savior; the Holy Spirit redeems us from the loneliness of agnosticism by offering us an everlasting communion of life and grace; and in response to our weak faith, the promise of the future resurrection is announced. This is what the disciples saw in Christ’s splendor, but it took time for them to understand (cf.  Mt  17:9), time in silence to listen to the word, time for conversion in order to enjoy the Lord’s company.

As we experience this during Lent, let us ask Mary, teacher of prayer and Morning Star, to guide us in faith.

_______________________

After the Angelus 

Dear brothers and sisters!

I am following with deep concern what is happening in the Middle East and in Iran during this tumultuous time. Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue.

Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of immense proportions, I make a heartfelt appeal to all the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm. May diplomacy regain its proper role, and may the well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice, be upheld. And let us continue to pray for peace.

In these days, troubling news has also arrived of clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan. I urgently appeal for a return to dialogue. Let us pray together that harmony may prevail in all conflicts throughout the world. Only peace, a gift of God, can heal the wounds between peoples.

I wish to express my closeness to those who have been severely affected by flooding in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. I pray for the victims, for the families who have lost their homes, and for all those involved in rescue efforts.

I extend a warm greeting to all of you, Romans and pilgrims from various countries, in particular the group of Cameroonians living in Rome, accompanied by the President of their Episcopal Conference, whom, God willing, I will have the joy of visiting in the month of April.

I welcome the faithful from the Diocese of Iași in Romania, from Budimir in Košice, Slovakia, from Massachusetts in the United States of America, and from the Confraternity of the  Santísimo Cristo de la Buena Muerte  from Jaén, Spain.

I greet the faithful from Naples, Torre del Greco, and Afragola; from Caraglio and Valle Grana; from Comitini, Crotone, Silvi Marina, and the parish of Saint Luigi Gonzaga in Rome; as well as the scout leaders of the “Val d’Illasi” group near Verona, and the young people from Faenza who have received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday.

This morning, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the communities of four Spanish seminaries: Alcalá de Henares , Toledo , Inderdiocesan of Cataluña , and Cartagena.

The following is the address delivered by the Pope during the meeting:

 

Address of the Holy Father

Dear brothers in the episcopate, priests and seminarians, Your Eminence, priests, seminarians and family members,

The seminary is always a sign of hope for the Church; hence, meeting with you — both those who are going through this stage and those who are responsible for accompanying you — is a source of true joy for me.

I could speak about many important aspects of your formation, which I have already had the chance to write about in the letter I sent to the Seminary of Saint Charles and Saint Marcellus in Trujillo, Peru — an institution I belonged to for several years — and which I would encourage you to read when you have the opportunity. But today I would like to focus on something that silently underpins everything else and which, precisely for that reason, runs the risk of being taken for granted without being cultivated: having a supernatural view of reality.

There is a quote from the author Chesterton that can serve as a key to understanding everything I would like to share with you: “Take away the supernatural, and what remains is the unnatural” (cf. Heretics , VI). Man is not made to live closed in on himself, but in a living relationship with God. When that relationship is obscured or weakened, life begins to fall into disorder from within. The unnatural is not only the scandalous; it is enough to live without God in daily life, leaving him out of the criteria and decisions with which we face existence.

And if this is true for every Christian, it is particularly serious on the path of formation towards the priesthood. What could be more unnatural than a seminarian or priest who speaks of God with familiarity but lives inwardly as if God’s presence existed only in words and not in the depth of life? Nothing would be more dangerous than becoming accustomed to the things of God without living from God. That is why, ultimately, everything begins—and always returns—to a living and concrete relationship with the One who has chosen us without any merit on our part.

Having a supernatural view does not mean fleeing from reality, but learning to recognize God's action in the concrete reality of each day; a vision that cannot be improvised or delegated, but must be learned and exercised in the ordinary course of life. Precisely for this reason, if supernatural view is so decisive for Christian life, it is even more so for those who will act in persona Christi , and from the formative stage onwards it deserves to be nurtured with special attention, because it is the principle that gives unity to everything else.

This believing outlook on reality needs to be translated every day into concrete choices in life; otherwise, even intrinsically good practises – such as study, prayer, community life – can become empty and distorted, becoming mere fulfilment. A simple and proven way to safeguard this view is to practise the presence of God , which keeps the heart awake and life constantly focused on Him.

Sacred Scripture expresses this truth with a simple image in the first psalm, when it describes the righteous as “a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither” (v. 3). It is not fruitful because of an absence of difficulties, but because of the place where it has taken root. Wind, winter, drought, and pruning are all part of its growth, but neither storm nor drought can destroy it when its roots are deep and close to the source. Scripture itself, however, recognizes the paradox of the fig tree that does not bear fruit despite the care it receives (cf. Lk 13:6-9).

It is said that trees “die standing”: they remain upright, they retain their appearance, but inside they are already dry. Something similar can happen in the life of a seminary or of a seminarian — and later in the life of a priest – when fruitfulness is mistaken for the intensity of activities or with merely external care for appearances. Spiritual life does not bear fruit because of what is visible, but because of what is deeply rooted in God. When that root is neglected, everything ends up drying up inside, until, silently, it ends up “dying standing upright”.

Deep down, the supernatural gaze springs from the simplest and most decisive aspect of vocation: being with the Master. Jesus called those he wanted “to be with him” ( Mk 3:14). That is the foundation of all priestly formation: staying with Him and allowing oneself to be formed from within; seeing God at work and recognizing how He works in one’s own life and in that of His people. Therefore, although human means, psychology and formative tools are valuable and necessary, they cannot replace this relationship. The true agent of this journey is the Holy Spirit, who shapes the heart, teaches us to respond to grace and prepares us for a fruitful life in the service of the Church. Everything begins now, in the ordinary routine of each day, where each one decides whether to remain with the Lord or to try to sustain oneself by one’s own strength alone.

Dear sons, I thank you, on behalf of the Church, for the generosity of having decided to follow the Lord. Do so always with the certainty that you do not walk alone: Christ goes before you, Mary Most Holy accompanies you, and the entire Church supports you with her prayers. Finally, I would like to give special thanks to all the families present here.

Confident in this certainty, move forward with peace and fidelity. May the Lord bless you. Thank you very much.

Appointment of apostolic nuncio in Malta

Resignation and succession of metropolitan archbishop of Conakry, Guinea

 

Appointment of apostolic nuncio in Malta

The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Wojciech Załuski, titular of Diocletiana, hitherto apostolic nuncio in Malaysia and Timor Leste and apostolic delegate in Brunei Darussalam, as apostolic nuncio in Malta.

 

Resignation and succession of metropolitan archbishop of Conakry, Guinea

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the metropolitan archdiocese of Conakry, Guinea, presented by Archbishop Vincent Coulibaly. He is succeeded by Archbishop François Sylla, hitherto coadjutor archbishop of the same metropolitan see.

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- His Excellency Mr. Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, special envoy of the President of the Republic of Cuba, and entourage;

- Mr. Giuseppe Contaldo, national president of “Renewal in the Holy Spirit”;

- A delegation from the World Council of Churches;

- Bishop Carlos Alberto Godoy Labraña of Osorno, Chile;

- Seminarians from several dioceses in Spain, with their family members;

- His Eminence Cardinal Lazarus Heung-sik You, prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy;

- Bishop Erik Varden, O.C.S.O., prelate of Trondheim, Norway, preacher of the Spiritual Exercises.

Appointment of bishop of Agboville, Cote d’Ivoire

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Assandé Darius Ekou, until now rector of the parish-sanctuary Saint Famille de Nazareth and director of the Saint Kizito d’Abengourou diocesan Centre, as bishop of the diocese of Agboville, Cote d’Ivoire.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Assandé Darius Ekou was born on 27 April 1968 in Bongouanou, in the diocese of Abengourou. He studied philosophy and theology at the Saint Cœur de Marie Major Seminary in Anyama.

He was ordained a priest on 7 September 1996.

After ordination, he first served as vicar at the Cathedral of Sainte Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus in Abengourou (1996-1998), head of the quasi-parish Saint Bernadette d’Ebilassokro (1998-2001), and vicar of Sacré Cœur in Koun-Abronso (2001-2001). He studied for a doctorate in the social doctrine of the Church at the Pontifical Lateran University of Rome (2002-2009), and provided pastoral service at the parish of San Lorenzo Martire in Formello (diocese of Civita Castellana) and at the Abbey Sanctuary of Montevergine (diocese of Avellino) (2002-2009), secretary of the Curia of Abengourou (2009-2010), parish priest of Sacré Cœur in Arrah (2010-2011), parish priest of Notre Dame de la Paix in Abengourou-Plateau (2011-2014), parish priest of Christ Roi in Abengourou (2014), episcopal vicar for the Sector of Moronou and the Central Sector of Abengourou, director of diocesan Catholic Works and diocesan director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (2011-2014), professor (2011-2014) and rector (2014-2025) of the Grande Séminaire Notre Dame de Guessihio-Gagnoa , rector of the parish-sanctuary of Sainte Famille de Nazareth and director of the Saint Kizito diocesan centre of Abengourou (since 2025).

Within the Episcopal Conference of Cote d’Ivoire, he is a member of the Commission for the Clergy, Seminaries and vocational pastoral care.