Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Pelplin, Poland

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Przemysław Szulc, until now parish priest of Saint Lawrence in Przysiersk, as auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Pelplin, Poland, assigning him the titular see of Cufruta.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Przemysław Tomasz Szulc was born on 2 June 1978 in Chojnice, Poland. He was ordained a priest on 8 June 2003 for the diocese of Pelplin.

After ordination, he first held the roles of parish vicar of Saint Joseph in Tczew (2003-2009) and diocesan moderator of the Light-Life Movement (2003-2009). He was awarded a doctorate in pastoral theology from the John Paul II Catholic University in Lublin (2006-2012), and went on to serve as principal of the Catholic Middle and High School in Świecie (since 2009), pastoral collaborator at the parish of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Świecie (2009-2016) and, to date, parish priest of Saint Lawrence in Przysiersk (since 2016).

Meeting with Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Men and Women Religious, Seminarians and Pastoral Workers in the Cathedral of Saint Anne

At 12.40 local time (13.40 in Rome), the Holy Father Leo XIV transferred by car and then popemobile to the Cathedral of Saint Anne for the meeting with bishops, priests, men and women religious, seminarians, and pastoral workers.

As he was changing cars, the Pope was presented with the Golden Key of the City by the Mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ms. Carolina Darias.

On his arrival at 15.05 (14.50 Rome time), the Pope was welcomed by Bishop José Mazuelos Pérez of Islas Canarias, the dean of the Cathedral Chapter, who brought him the cross and holy water for aspersion, and by two children who presented him with a floral tribute.

Following the words of welcome from the Bishop of Islas Canarias and the Gospel reading, there were testimonies from a priest, Santiago Cerrato Cáceres, and the secretary peneral for pastoral care, Enélida Hernández Monzón, interspersed with a musical interlude.

The Holy Father then delivered his address.

At the end of the meeting, after the blessing, the presentation of a gift and the final hymn, the Holy Father Leo XIV transferred on foot to the bishop's residence in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where he had lunch in private.

The following is the address delivered by the Pope during the meeting with bishops, priests, deacons, men and women religious, seminarians and pastoral workers:

 

Address of the Holy Father

Dear brother bishops, priests, men and women religious, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,

It is a great joy for me to share this gathering with you. Thank you for your warm welcome, for your kind presence and for your testimonies, which reflect a living Church, in whose heart “the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially those who are poor or afflicted” ( Gaudium et Spes , 1) find an echo.

I come to these islands as a father and brother in the faith: “with you I am a Christian, and for you, I am a bishop” (cf.  First “Urbi et Orbi” Blessing , 8 May 8 2025). Each of us has received various gifts and ministries for the building up of the body of Christ, as we heard in the reading from the Letter to the Ephesians. And this is the Lord’s call that resonates anew in our hearts today and confirms our vocation and mission: to build the Church together, founded on Christ, the “cornerstone” (cf. 1  Pet  2:6–8), to build on what is good, to harmonize our differences and to work together for the good of all (cf.  Magnifica Humanitas , 11–14).

I would like us to reflect together on two attitudes in our Christian life that we must keep in mind in order to be “wise architects” in building the civilization of love (cf.  Ibid. , 236).

You, whether native Canarians or those who have made the Canary Islands your home, People of God on a pilgrimage through lands surrounded by the Atlantic, have the privilege of enjoying the majestic presence of the sea every day. They say that in the eyes of an islander, the image of the sea — which evokes the taste of home and homeland — remains etched in one’s pupils forever, and that it is sorely missed when one is far away from it, when one is “inland.” This feeling corresponds to a healthy nostalgia for immensity, for the open sky and sea stretching to the horizon, without limits or borders. It is found also in a sensitive heart ready to bid farewell with a tear to those who leave and to welcome with open arms those who arrive. In this sense, the sea can sometimes also be synonymous with distance and separation, with challenge and the journey ahead.

In this regard, St. Augustine tells us: “If someone were to glimpse his homeland from afar, but a sea stood between them: he sees where to go, but does not know the way. So it is with us: we long to reach our final destination, […] but the sea of this world stands in our way […] to show us the way, the One to whom we longed to go came himself. And what did he do? He appointed a tree by which we may cross the sea. No one is able to cross the sea of this world unless they carry the cross of Christ” ( Commentary on the Gospel of St. John , 2, 2). Embracing the cross of Christ: this is the first attitude that guides us to navigate the waters of life and reach our destination, the heavenly homeland.

Dear brothers and sisters, the saints longed for God, and as they faced the storms of life, they knew how to take Jesus into their boats; they trusted in him, embraced the cross and thus calmed the waves of uncertainty and fear (cf.  Mt  8:23-27). An example of this in these blessed lands, among so many others, is the Venerable Antonio Vicente González, a diocesan priest, also known as “the Good Shepherd of the Canary Islands.” His life, transfigured by divine grace, encourages us to take up the cross of Christ and follow him (cf.  Mt  16:24), being faithful witnesses to the Gospel in this new chapter of history, not without turbulence and conflict, so that we may thus reach the promised destination (cf.  Jn 12:32).

 The first “guiding principle,” therefore, is to take up the cross of Christ. You do this every day, for example, as Good Samaritans, accompanying and helping to carry the burdens of so many brothers and sisters who are crucified by life’s trials. I thank you for this generous work of charity and mercy.

I would also like to highlight another practice: cultivating a Eucharistic spirituality. This is connected to the ancient tradition preserved in this beautiful cathedral: the showering of flower petals before the Blessed Sacrament on the Solemnity of the Ascension, as a sign of the spiritual and heavenly gifts that the Lord pours out as he ascends into heaven. This gesture of devotion, practiced by so many generations over time, has a profound meaning: on our pilgrimage, the goal is the encounter with Christ; he is the center of Christian life, before whom we bow our knees in adoration, around whom we gather to form one body and with whom we offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” ( Rom 12:1).

The Council tells us: the faithful, “taking part in the Eucharistic sacrifice, the source and summit of the Christian life, … offer the divine victim to God and themselves along with him. And so it is that, … they manifest in a concrete way that unity of the people of God” ( Lumen Gentium , 11). Therefore, cultivating a Eucharistic spirituality means delving deeper into “a spirituality of ecclesial unity in love” ( Magnifica Humanitas , 234). Let us make our lives a response to Jesus’ desire: “that they may all be one … so that the world may believe” ( Jn  17:21).

One concrete way to express this spirituality of communion is Christian solidarity, because “union with Christ is also union with all those to whom he gives himself” ( Deus Caritas Est , 14). For this reason, I encourage you to continue offering to everyone the love that you, in turn, have received from the Lord (cf. 1  Jn  4:19) — a love that becomes nourishment through hospitality, listening, closeness and care for the most vulnerable: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” ( Mt  25:35–36).

Dear pilgrim Church in the Canary Islands, following in the footsteps of holiness of so many men and women who have gone before you — who offered their lives in communion with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and at the altar — I encourage you to press on, firmly rooted in him, so that you may continue to navigate with courage through this new era of history. When you encounter difficulties, lift up your gaze and ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to live united in faith, hope and charity — virtues that “are like three stars that rise in the sky of our spiritual life to guide us to God” (Saint John Paul II,  Catechesis , 22 November 2000).

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, guide us on our journey, help us to “put out into the deep” (cf.  Lk  5:1–11) and thus lead us to the safe harbor of our final encounter with her Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you!

At 11.50 (12.50 in Rome), the Holy Father Leo XIV met with organizations providing reception services to migrants at the port of Arguineguín.

Upon arrival, Pope Leo XIV was welcomed by Bishop José Mazuelos Pérez of Islas Canarias; the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón; the delegate administrator of Puertos Canarios (Government of the Canary Islands), José Gilberto Moreno García; the mayor of Mogán, Onalia Bueno García; the episcopal vicar of the Vicariate of the South, Don Antonio Juan López González; the vicar for social pastoral ministry and human development, Don José Ramón González Santana; the director of diocesan Caritas for the Canary Islands, Don Gonzalo Marrero Rodríguez; and by the delegate for the pastoral care of migrants, Don Víctor Domínguez González.

The initial hymn and some words of welcome from the bishop of Islas Canarias were followed by testimonies from a maritime rescuer, Tito Villarmea; a Caritas volunteer, María Reyes Alemán Cruz; a victim of human trafficking; and a Latin American businesswoman, María Fernanda López Meza.

Then, after the presentation of a gift, the Pope delivered his address.

At the end, before proceeding to the shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for the blessing of a cross made from the wood of a migrant boat, the Pope laid a floral tribute in memory of the victims of migration by sea.

After greeting some volunteers and migrants, the Holy Father transferred by car and then popemobile to the Cathedral of Saint Anne for the meeting with bishops, priests, deacons, men and women religious, seminarians and pastoral workers.

The following is the address delivered by the Pope to those present at the meeting with the organizations providing support for migrants:

 

Address of the Holy Father

Dear brothers and sisters,

We have just heard one of the most challenging passages in the Gospel. We know that this same chapter also contains a warning that no believer can take lightly ( Mt  25:41-45). Today, by the sea, the word of God becomes concrete: here so many wounded lives arrive, stripped of almost everything, but never of their dignity. Here the Gospel pulls us out of our comfortable position as spectators and places before us a brother or a sister who has arrived. It asks us if we have recognized Christ in those who disembark, marked by fear, hunger and violence, after enduring the desert, the night and the sea.

As you can see, I am wearing the ring that is called “the Fisherman’s Ring.” Its very name leads us to the Sea of Galilee, where Christ called Peter and said to him: “From now on you will be catching people” ( Lk  5:10). The Church has interpreted that verse as an image of her mission. Yet here and in places like El Hierro, Christ’s command is especially powerful and painful. This island, small in size but great in humanity, has witnessed the arrival of thousands of people, torn from their homelands and entrusted to the fragility of a boat. Here, people are rescued from the sea and lifeless bodies are recovered from the waters. For this reason, the Successor of Peter cannot ignore these docks. The Church cannot ignore these waters or any place where hunger, thirst, violence, fear or exile continue to wound human dignity. Jesus’ disciples cannot dismiss the cries of those who call out in the night.

In biblical language, the sea can symbolize danger, darkness and chaos. In the sea we find the Leviathan, which represents power that devours, and Rahab, a name that evokes the arrogance of the powers that rise up against God and against life (cf.  Ps  74:13–14; 89:10–11;  Is  27:1; 51:9;  Job 26:12). Even today, monsters lurk in these seas: mafias that profit from despair, traffickers who enslave women and children, and those whose indifference allows the poor to be swallowed up by exploitation or forgetfulness.

However, faith is not paralyzed by the power of the sea. We believe in a God who subdues chaos, limits evil and opens up paths where death seems to prevail. The people of Israel experienced this as they crossed the Red Sea to escape slavery and walk toward freedom (cf.  Ex  14:21–31). We see this in Christ, who walked on water and, in the face of the storm, uttered a decisive phrase: “Peace! Be still!” ( Mk  4:39; cf.  Mt  14:25-27). His voice continues to resound against the forces that devour, enslave and discard so many of our brothers and sisters. If Christ commands the sea to be still, the Church cannot remain silent about those who are abandoned to its waters.

Thank you for your testimonies, for reminding us what it means to save lives. Thank you, María, for telling us about the work that Caritas, the parishes and so many people do each day. Your words show us how the conversion of our gaze begins when the migrant ceases to be “just one more,” a mere category or a statistic. Only then can we understand that that little girl could be our daughter, and that those faces could be part of our family. Then, our conscience is left with no excuses. Mercy begins with small gestures, such as sharing a few cookies and a little milk, or offering five loaves and two fish (cf.  Mt  14:17-21). The goal is not to solve everything, but to place everything in God’s hands and to be present where people suffer, where resources are insufficient, where there is no common language — but where gestures can still speak. I express heartfelt thanks to all who participate in rescues, in welcoming and in accompanying others, bearing witness that concrete mercy can save and change lives.

Dear Blessing, although you are not here today, your voice is. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Your name means “blessing,” and it reminds us that every human life is a blessing from God. No one can buy, sell, use or discard it, because the image and likeness of the Creator shines forth in every person (cf.  Gen  1:27). You told us that you left your country not because you wanted to, but because there was no other choice. Through your words, we hear the drama of so many people who are forced to leave because poverty, war, threats or exploitation closed off all their paths.

I hope that this message reaches you and the many other women who are victims of trafficking and exploitation. If others have put a price on your body, know that God has never ceased to recognize your inestimable worth. If others want to trap you in a painful past, God continues to make a promise for your future. If others treat you like an object, the Church wants to tell you today that you are a daughter, you are a sister, you are a blessing. Your life does not belong to those who harmed you; your body does not belong to those who took advantage of you; your days do not belong to those who wanted to chain you to fear. Your life belongs to God, who has given you a dignity that cannot be taken from you. We want to walk with you until that truth feels stronger than the pain.

Dear migrants, before saying anything else to you, I want to bow before your dignity. You are not just numbers or files. You are people who have left behind families and homes. You have dreams that no one has the right to despise. However, I also want to tell you that your lives must be protected. Do not surrender your lives to those who trade with them. Do not believe those who promise easy paradises in exchange for your body, money, silence or freedom. Those false promises are “siren songs”; they are industries of death.

This tragedy must serve as an appeal to the conscience of the nations of origin of the migrants, which must establish conditions for peace, justice and development. It is also an appeal to the conscience of the transit nations, which are called to protect the vulnerable and not leave them in the hands of criminal networks. It is likewise an appeal to the conscience of Europe, which cannot claim to uphold human dignity while growing accustomed to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic becoming unmarked graves, as well as that of the international community, which is called to effective and persevering cooperation.

The Church, too, must allow herself to be challenged. Welcoming migrants cannot be a secondary matter that is left to a few volunteers. We kneel before the altar to adore Christ present in the Eucharist, from whom we receive the strength and the motivation to live charity; for this reason, we cannot then “pass by” the small boats and rafts, for all service and every commitment spring from prayer and lead back to it (cf.  Lk  10:31-32).

From this island, I would like the voices of those who spoke today to reach those who hold significant positions of responsibility — civil authorities, parliaments, governments and international organizations — as well as Christian communities, other religious traditions and all men and women of good will. It is not enough to manage arrivals, distribute statistics, reinforce borders or lament deaths after they have occurred. Every boat that arrives brings a question along with the migrants: what kind of world have we built, if so many brothers and sisters must risk death to seek life?

Human dignity demands legal and safe pathways, rescue and assistance, real cooperation against traffickers, effective protection for victims, serious processes of reception and integration, and policies that allow every person to live with dignity in their own land. While there is a right to seek refuge when life is threatened, there is also the right not to have to migrate: the right to remain in one’s own home without hunger, war, persecution, violence, the land becoming uninhabitable, corruption stealing the bread from the poor or weapons destroying the future of children. We cannot grow accustomed to counting the dead. Human dignity has no passport and does not lose its value when crossing a border.

May the God who, in the evening of life, will judge us on our love (cf. John of the Cross,  Sayings of Light and Love , 57) grant us the grace to recognize him today in the poor and in foreigners, and free us from viewing the suffering of others as if it did not concern us. May Our Lady of Mount Carmel accompany those who have arrived, console those who have lost their loved ones, sustain those who welcome them and awaken the courage of mercy in all of us.

May history not accuse us of turning the pain of those who suffer into a common sight along our shores. Today, here by the sea, every individual that arrives asks us what remains of our humanity. Sooner or later, it will be known whether we protected life or whether we yielded to indifference. Thank you very much.

Departure from Barcelona and Welcome at the Gran Canaria-Gando Air Base in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

At 7.30 this morning, the Holy Father Leo XIV took leave of the Archbishop’s residence in Barcelona and transferred by car to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat International Airport. At 8.45 he departed on board an A320 Iberia bound for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

The aircraft carrying the Holy Father is expected to land at Gran-Canaria-Gando Air Base at 10.50 local time (11.50 in Rome).

Upon arrival, the Holy Father Leo XIV will be welcomed by some local authorities, followed by a brief meeting in the VIP lounge.

At 10.10 this morning, the Holy Father Leo XIV left the Archbishop’s residence in Barcelona and transferred by car to the Brians 1 Penitentiary Centre.

Upon arrival, the Pope was welcomed by the director of the Centre, and together they proceeded to the conference hall, where he was awaited by three chaplains, a group of inmates and a group of volunteers.

After a hymn, some words of welcome from the director of the penitentiary Centre, a testimony from the diocesan delegate for prison pastoral care, Fr. Jesús Bel, and testimonies from two inmates, Montse and Josefina, Leo XIV delivered his address to those present.

At the end of the meeting, after the blessing, the exchange and the final hymn, the Pontiff greeted some inmates.

At 11.20, the Holy Father Leo XIV transferred by car and then golf-cart to the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat for the Prayer of the Holy Rosary.

The following is the Pope’s greeting to those present during the visit to the Brians 1 Penitentiary Centre:

 

Greeting of the Holy Father

Dear brothers and sisters,

Thank you all for your warm and cordial welcome!

I am deeply moved by the testimony shared with us by Montse and Josefina. Thank you very much. I also appreciate the words of Father Jesús, which highlight the commitment of the chaplains and volunteers of the diocesan prison ministry in Sant Feliu de Llobregat.

Every human being is “worthy” by the mere fact “of having been willed, created and loved by God” ( Magnifica Humanitas , 52). There is, therefore, no situation that causes the Lord to turn his gaze away from us. It is a consoling truth that accompanies us at all times and reminds us how his merciful love always outweighs whatever good or evil we may have done.

Dear brothers and sisters, this is especially true for you who bear the burden of being far from your loved ones and who suffer because of your current circumstances. When you are tempted to feel inferior and think it is not worth going on, “lift up your eyes” to the One who, through the presence of so many people, never ceases to show you his love and closeness.

Even if anxiety and sadness mark certain moments of your journey, remember that life’s mistakes do not define a person’s identity. Saint Augustine, in his  Confessions , speaks of this when he shares his life journey with us. If we trust in divine grace and allow ourselves to be guided and transformed by it, we discover in our lives how the past does not condemn the future, but rather offers us the possibility of changing our decisions and choices.

Let us make room for the Lord in our hearts and seek his face. Let us allow his love to guide us. Let us cling to him, who continually invites us to hope and shows us a wonderful horizon that no physical barrier can prevent us from reaching. Today, he continues to speak to us in the depths of our consciences, helping us discover that he dwells among us. He is only waiting for us to give him a chance.

Dear friends, I invite you to keep dreaming God’s dream. To each of you I say: God loves you just as you are, but he dreams of you being even better! The Lord allows us all to start anew, for being human and being Christian does not mean never making mistakes, but rather growing in the ability to convert, repent, make amends and, above all, to reconcile and forgive.

I entrust you in a special way to the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Mercy, and I willingly ask the Lord to bless you. Thank you very much.