A pastor of great importance

The Holy Father used his Wednesday Audience yesterday to speak about the life of Saint Timothy, co-worker of Saint Paul and the first Bishop of Ephesus. Through his efforts to evangelize the world, "the figure of Timothy stands out as that of a pastor of great importance."

Reflecting also on the first Bishop of Crete, Saint Titus, Pope Benedict XVI noted that "we are aware of some significant facts" when we look at the lives of these two men:

The most important is that Paul used collaborators in the development of his missions. He is, of course, the Apostle par excellence, founder and pastor of many Churches. Nevertheless, it is clear that he did not do it all alone, but leaned on trustworthy persons, who shared the effort and responsibilities.

To be point out, moreover, is the willingness of his collaborators... [T]hey teach us to serve the Gospel with generosity, knowing that this also implies a service tot he Church herself.