SPEECH OF BISHOP NATALE DURING HIS EPISCOPAL ORDINATION

Your Grace the Apostolic Nuncio

Your Graces the Archbishops

Your Excellences the Bishops

Vicar Generals, Monsignors, Priests, Deacons and Religious men and women

Honourable Vice President and Lady

Honourable Members of the Government and Parliament

Honourable Paramount Chiefs and Tribal Authorities

Members of the Sierra Leone Army and Police

Local authorities

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

In omnibus Christus

I have chosen this motto for my episcopal ministry because it was the episcopal motto of the Founder of the Xaverian Missionaries, St. Guido Maria Conforti, and because I want to be guided by it in my episcopal ministry. This quotation from the letter of St. Paul the Colossians invites me and all of us to see Jesus Christ in our brothers and sisters, and to love them as we love him. In the Papal Bull of my nomination, Pope Francis asks God to help me to “to carry also the episcopal Order, through burning charity, which is the root of all virtues”.

I consider being a bishop nor a prize, because I do not deserve it, neither a title of honour, but a SERVICE. The Bishop is called to SERVE his people as Jesus served his disciples and all the people who were seeking him. The Bishop is called to serve not only the people of God entrusted to him in his own diocese, but in communion with the Holy Father and the Episcopal College, to serve all people without discrimination. Because of this, my dear brother Bishops, I am ready to work with all of you in everything you are doing for the good of the people of God in Sierra Leone. We know we have been through a period of crisis and division; it is our urgent task to work together for true reconciliation among the whole people of God, priests, religious men and women and laity.   

Since I have known the decision of Pope Francis to confirm me as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Makeni and at the same time to nominate me Bishop, I have asked God to help me to be a Good Shepherd for the Diocese of Makeni, first of all by the example of my life; to give me wisdom to be a prudent guide for the people of God; to enlighten my mind to understand His will for the flock of this Diocese.

The bishop is not the owner of the Diocese, only God is the owner and Lord:  he, the bishop, is the shepherd sent by the Holy Father to take care of the flock and to guide it towards green pastures.

What does it mean, green pastures? To my understanding, it means to guide the people to understand and appreciate the Gospel, the living word of God; to love the Gospel and to follow it in their daily life. The bishop is not a manager of a NGO, but a brother who helps his brothers and sisters to grow in their knowledge of Jesus and in their spirituality.

In his task, the bishop needs the full cooperation of the diocesan clergy. Bishop, priests and deacons are called to form a real family. My dear brother priests and deacons, we have a big challenge in front of us. Jesus has entrusted to our care a marvellous diocese, with a very dynamic people of God: it is our task to help our brothers and sisters to grow in their faith and spirituality, teaching them the Gospel and the doctrine of the Catholic Church. We can succeed in this, if we work together in harmony and if our personal lives are true examples for our people. After three years and half working together, we have learned to know one another: you know now my weaknesses that are many, and perhaps also some of my positive points; I hope I have some of them, too; and I have started to get to know you. I do believe we can work together.

Our Diocese has been blessed with the presence of many religious, priests, brothers and sisters and some Fidei Donum priests. We thank God for that. Their presence is a great support for the diocese. It will be good if we can strengthen the bonds between the diocesan clergy and the religious, while respecting the charism of one another.

My dear people of God, we are about to start a new phase in our diocesan life. God has called us to walk together after Jesus. Our Diocese has a rich history; we have also received a rich legacy from our ancestors in the faith, but we have to continue to grow in our faith and in our Christian life. A few days ago Pope Francis brought to an end, in Rome, the Bishops' Synod on the Family. (Bishop Campbell and Bishop Borwah participated in the Synod and represented this part of Africa). I invite you all to strengthen the Christian life in our families in order to reinforce the life of the parishes in the whole Diocese.

As you all know, Pope Francis has announced an Extraordinary Jubilee, called the Jubilee of Mercy. In the bull of indiction Pope Francis says: “It is my burning desire that, during this Jubilee, the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. It will be a way to reawaken our conscience, that tends to grows dull in the face of poverty. And let us enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel, where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy. Jesus introduces us to these works of mercy in his preaching, so that we can know whether or not we are living as true disciples. Let us try to rediscover these corporal works of mercy: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visit the prisoners, and bury the dead. And let us not forget the spiritual works of mercy: to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted, forgive offences, bear patiently with those who do us harm, and pray for the living and the dead”. Let us try to respond to what the Pope invites us to do.

I want to thank all of you for your presence today, for your prayers and support. I was really surprised to see how many people took part in the preparation for today's celebration and for their generosity.

I want to thank in a special way the Apostolic Nuncio for coming to consecrate me. I am his first born son (the first Bishop consecrated by him), and the Secretary to the Nunciature. Many Thanks to my brother archbishops and bishops of Sierra Leone and Liberia, to Bishop Emeritus, George Biguzzi, for coming from Italy. A fraternal thanks to bishop Aruna: your love and concern for the church is a strong message for all of us, thank you very much for coming to Makeni today. Thanks to the priests, religious and laity coming from Freetown, Kenema and Bo.

Thanks to the Honourable Vice President and his family, to the members of the government and parliament, to the Paramount Chiefs and tribal authorities, to the Sierra Leone army and police, and to the local authorities.

Thanks to the priests, religious and laity of Makeni, for your support during my service as the Apostolic Administrator of this Diocese and for accepting me now as the apostolic administrator and bishop.

A special thanks to the celebration committee, I do not mention any name in case I may forget anybody, thank you very much for your dedication and hard working, may God reward you abundantly. In the committee are included the Monsignors, priests, laity, altar servers, choristers, and so on.

Many thanks to the international organizations which have been supporting our diocese, institutions and our people. Among them I would like to mention CAFOD, CRS, TROCAiRE, CARITAS ITALIANA, CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS, CAMILLIAN TASK FORCE, DOKITA, ATABAL, EL COMPROMISO, WFP, UNICEF among many others.

Allow me to thank the people who came from abroad. Friends from Albano, Italy, among them Mons. Pietro Massari, diocesan director of PMS: thank you very much for your great support to our Diocese for so many years. To Friends from Parma, among them Mr. Adriano Cugini, chairman of the Amici of Sierra Leone association. A friend from México, Mrs. Evelyn Coufal de Urrutia.

Many thanks to my religious family, the Xaverian Missionaries, for welcoming me among them 48 years ago, for the formation I have received from them, for their constant support and patience. Bishop Biguzzi, please, bring my personal thanks to our Superior General, Fr. Luigi Menegazzo.  

Finally, many thanks to my family, those who are present and those who are at home. To my oldest and youngest brothers here present, Vittorio and Enzo, my cousin and classmate Ave, my niece Alessia and my best friend and classmate, Giulio. Thank you very much for your presence and support. To my family, a special thank because they encouraged my vocation from the beginning, and my missionary life, too. My thought goes to my late parents, Egidio and Maria, it is because of them that I am a missionary priest. They taught me the gospel and the catholic doctrine in a very practical way, they taught me to pray and to be charitable with everybody. May their souls rest in perfect peace. 

My prayer for the families which are suffering the consequences of Ebola, to the survivors, to the dead, may their souls rest in perfect peace. Let us thank God because our country - very soon - will be declared Ebola Free. But let us continue to be vigilant.

I ask the protection of St Francis Xavier, the patron saint of the Xaverians, of St. Guido Maria Conforti , the Founder of the Xaverians and of St. Ann, the patron saint of my town and parish. I ask Mama Mary, with her title of Fatima and of Guadalupe, to guide me in my episcopal ministry.

May God bless you all.