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).

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.

Resignation of auxiliary bishop of the Military Ordinariate of the United States of America

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary bishop of the Military Ordinariate for the United States of America, presented by Bishop F. Richard Spencer, titular of Auzia.

The following is the Letter, sent on behalf of the Holy Father by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, to His Eminence Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, on the occasion of the meeting on the pastoral care of the elderly, taking place today in Rome, at the Palazzo di San Calisto , on the theme: “A bridge towards heaven: the magisterium of fragility in a time of strength”.

 

Letter

Your Most Reverend Excellency,

In the name of the Holy Father, and in my own, I am pleased to extend a warm greeting to you and to the group of experts convened by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life to reflect on pastoral care for the elderly, and in particular on the theme “A bridge towards heaven: the magisterium of fragility in a time of strength”.

In today’s society, old age is a complex season rich in possibilities, and for the Church, which has always recognized the elderly as a significant presence, this initiative is certainly of great significance.

Today, in many parts of the world, seniors often still have plenty of energy to devote to serving the community. This is evidenced by the various forms of voluntary work, which are fundamental in so many areas of ecclesial life.

Beyond this, however, old age calls into question a deeper and more important aspect of Christian life: that of the value of weakness (cf. 2 Cor 12:10).

The rise in people’s average life expectancy entails, in fact, a prolongation of the frail stage of old age, and this poses the challenge of reflecting on the meaning of this season of existence. What value should we attribute to the many years a man or woman may live in a state of physical or mental frailty? What is the Christian perspective through which to live this time? How can we proclaim that human life always retains, in all its stages, its “infinite dignity”?[1] The reflection that you are beginning today, through your work, can help to answer these and other questions that appeal to our responsibility.

The Holy Father Leo XIV has remarked that fragility is “part of the marvel of creation” [2]. It therefore has a spiritual and community value, reminding us that we are dependent on each other and in need of God.

Pope Francis spoke of it as a “magisterium” [3], which has a lot to teach humanity in our time. The elderly, in the serene acceptance of the limits linked to the passing of the years, without hiding them or being ashamed of them, can be teachers of life, capable of showing everyone — and especially young people — that the value of a life is not measured by efficiency or self-sufficiency, but by the capacity to love and to allow oneself to be loved, to give and to receive.

Old age, then, is characterized as a time of grace, to be lived in prayer, in service, in tenderness, in memory preserved and passed on: a blessing for generations to come. This makes fragility a theological reality,[4] in the words of Saint Paul: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong […] therefore, as it is written, Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord ” ( 1 Cor 1:27, 31).

The society in which we live is dominated by the logic of performance and competition, so that strength is is conceived as a display of power and tends to degenerate into abuse of power. We see this on the international stage, where, tragically, war has once again become a widespread strategic tool. [5] But we also notice it in the ordinary details of daily life, in the way we relate to one another. Indeed, in our daily lives, we increasingly encounter signs of a mindset that confuses strength with arrogance and meekness with weakness.

Faced with these attitudes, the Church continues to propose the Gospel message: that which proclaims blessed the meek and humble of heart (cf. Mt 5:5; 11:29), and which promotes an unarmed and disarming peace [6], recognizing in God the Father of all and in others not enemies, but brothers and sisters. The elderly members of our communities are, through their life experience and wisdom, the first and most authoritative witnesses to this Christian vision of humanity.

I therefore convey the best wishes of His Holiness, that your work may help to foster, towards the elderly and the blessed time of old age, renewed attitudes of respect, gratitude and esteem, and to reawaken in those of advanced years the responsibility to pass on sound and solid values to future generations. Invoking the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, he cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing to you, to the organizers and to all those taking part in the event.

For my part, I wish every success for the initiative, and take this opportunity to confirm my highest regards

From the Vatican, 5 June 2026

to Your Eminence, most reverend and devoted in the Lord.

Pietro Card. Parolin Secretary of State

 

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[1]  Cf. Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Dignitas Infinita , 2 April 2024, 1. [2]  Leo XIV, Homily at the Holy Mass for the Jubilee of Young People , Tor Vergata, 3 August 2025. [3]  Cf. Francis, General Audience , 1 June 2022. [4]  Cf. Francis, Address to Priests of the College of San Luigi dei Francesi , 7 June 2021. [5]  Cf. Leo XIV, Address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See , 9 January 2026. [6]  Cf. Leo XIV, Message for the 69th World Day of Peace , 1 January 2026.