In his meeting with newly appointed bishops from around the world, in Rome for a seminar organised by Propaganda Fide, Francis devoted part of his address to the pastors of the Chinese flock. "Deep down in my heart, I hope" they were here, "that that day will not be far off! Let me assure them not only of my and our solidarity, but also that of the world's Episcopate, so that, in the shared faith and despite sometimes the impression of being alone, they can feel the certainty that their suffering will bear fruit - and what fruit! - for the good of the faithful, their fellow citizens and the whole Church."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "I wish [. . .] the Chinese bishops ordained in recent years were present at the meeting today!" They are not alone. They have the solidarity of the pope and of the world's episcopate. Given the shared faith "and despite sometimes the impression of being alone," may they "feel the certainty that their suffering will bear fruit - and what fruit! - for the good of the faithful, their fellow citizens and the whole Church", said Pope Francis in his address to newly appointed bishops from around the world who are presently in Rome for the traditional seminar organised by the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.

The pontiff's reference reflects the situation of Mgr Thaddeus Ma Daqin, the heroic auxiliary bishop of Shanghai who has been under house arrest for more than two years at the Marian shrine of Sheshan after he resigned from the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association following his episcopal ordination.

On the occasion of the second anniversary of his ordination (and subsequent arrest), Card Joseph Zen Ze-kiun revealed that Mgr Ma " recently told the Holy Father not to restrain himself in preaching the truth out of fear of causing him [Msgr. Ma] problems. And he's right: only the truth will set us free."

Francis mentioned the bishops of China towards the end of the audience. "As I speak to you," he said, "I cannot help but think about those brothers who, for various reasons, are not here with us. To everyone, I send everyone a fraternal and benedictive greeting."

"How I wish, for example, that the Chinese bishops ordained in recent years were present at the meeting today! Deep down in my heart, I hope that day will not be far off! Let me assure them not only of my and our solidarity, but also that of the world's Episcopate so that, in the shared faith and despite sometimes the impression of being alone, they can feel the certainty that their suffering will bear fruit - and what fruit! - for the good of the faithful, their fellow citizens and the whole Church."

Earlier, the pope called on the bishops to look at and respond to the fundamental mission of the Church: proclaiming the Gospel. Citing Evangelii Gaudium, Francis pointed out that today there is an "urgent need for a missionary conversion (cf. 19-49), a conversion that concerns every Christian and every parish, and of course pastors are the first to be called to live and bear witness."

At the centre of this missionary conversion, he added, "there is the service of humanity, in imitation of his Lord who washed the feet of his disciples. As an evangelising community, the Church gets involved by word and deed in people's daily lives; it bridges distances, it is willing to abase itself if necessary, and it embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others" (cf. App. Exhort , Evangelii Gaudium, 24).

"The holy Korean martyrs Taegon Andrew Kim, priest, Paul Chong Hasang, and Companions, whose liturgical feast we celebrate today, are a shining example of such pastoral service. Anchored in Christ, the Good Shepherd, they did not hesitate to shed their blood for the Gospel, of which they were faithful stewards and heroic witnesses."

Hence, the Church "needs pastors, that is servants, bishops who know how to kneel before others to wash their feet: pastors close to the people, meek fathers and brothers, patient and merciful, who like poverty, as freedom for the Lord and simplicity and austerity of life."

"You are called to oversee incessantly the flock entrusted to you, to keep it united and faithful to the Gospel and the Church. Strive to give an authentic missionary impulse to your diocesan communities, so that they may grow more and more with new members, thanks to the witness of your life and your episcopal ministry exercised as a service to the People of God. Be close to your priests, take care of religious life, and love the poor."

The Pope ended with a thought about the upcoming Synod on the family due to open in Rome on 5 October. "I would like to stress to you that families are the foundation of the work of evangelisation through their educational mission and active participation in the life of the parish community. I encourage you to promote the pastoral care of families, so that families, accompanied and prepared, may always give their best contribution to the life of the Church and society."

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