I have been asked to reflect on the art of listening from the perspective of faith. I immediately thought of a funny meme that someone sent me. It said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try doing what the bishop told you to do the first time.” I’m gradually learning that a bishop needs to talk less and listen more to the people around him .
Sister Yvonne Reungoat, the French superior of the Salesian Sisters who helps Pope Francis select new bishops, once said, “There may be a difficulty in accepting the responsibility of being bishop of a particular church, with all the joys, challenges and complaints that it entails. That is why I think that, to be a bishop, one must have the ability to listen, both to those who have the same ideas and to those who protest. It is not easy.”
One of my guiding Scripture quotes on listening is from James 1:19: “You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry.” I know that if I don’t listen well, or speak too soon, or worst of all, get angry, I’ve failed as a listener.
Perhaps it is time for us to speak of “holy listening.” I believe that listening to another human being is an act of love. So many people have no one to talk to or to listen to them. Increasingly, people live alone or lack an intimate friend. When we are in the presence of another human being, we should treat that person as Christ himself, with undivided, loving attention, and simply listen to whatever he or she wishes to share with us.
Listening also requires an act of humility. The hardest thing to do is to listen to someone with whom I don’t see eye-to-eye, or especially someone who wants to tell me what I’m doing wrong from their perspective. There may be something that I am meant to hear, even if it stings my ego a bit. And even if I don’t agree with what is being said to me, it is imperative for me to treat that person with love and respect.
Pope Francis has reminded us of the importance of listening through the Synod on Synodality. He has repeatedly emphasized to bishops the importance of our listening to each other, to priests, religious and laypeople, all within the context of a “synodal” approach to Church leadership and decision-making, emphasizing humility and a shared journey. He reminded the members of the recent Synod of Bishops in Rome that they must engage in genuine dialogue with those holding differing views, avoid pushing personal agendas and remain open to changing their minds about what is best for the Church.
One of my pastoral priorities as bishop is seeing synodality as a model for the Church in the Diocese of St. Cloud. All of us in leadership in the diocese must cultivate the art of holy listening. This is especially important as we begin our pastoral planning process for all of our ACCs. I hope that as bishop I can do my best to listen well to all of you, the people of God of this diocese. The Holy Spirit can speak to us through anyone if we have ears to listen!
Yours in Christ,
+Bishop Patrick M. Neary, CSC, the 10th bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud.