Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio, addressed the assembly of bishops this morning. He said a nuncio arrives in a new country the way a new priest arrives at a parish.
“Here the Lord has planted me,” Sambi said. “Despite all our limitations, I am deeply convinced that what we do in the name of the Lord, in his name, will bear fruit, fruit that will last.”
Sambi recalled the first bishop in America, John Carroll, who was elected bishop in 1789, and the explosive growth of the Church ever since, comparing that growth to the parable of the mustard seed in the Scriptures.
The main part of his speech focused on evangelization as the principal task of the Church, echoing Pope Benedict’s emphasis on the “New Evangelization,” as evidenced by the creation of a Vatican dicastry dedicated to the New Evangelization.
“The mission is only beginning and we must commit ourselves whole heartedly to His service,” said Sambi.
Sambi did not touch on any of the hot button issues the Church faces.
