At the start of the new year 2026, Bishop Siluan of Italy delivered a pastoral message to Romanians living in Italy, urging them to value the family as “a small church” and to honour its role in preserving faith and identity in the diaspora.
In his New Year message, the bishop called on the faithful to reflect deeply on the passage of time, stressing that this moment is not merely a change of date on the calendar, but a spiritual calling.
“Time is not simply an inexorable flow, but, as the Holy Fathers teach us, an interval granted by God to humanity so that we may learn love and prepare for eternity,” the Bishop of Italy said.
The Only Anchor of Identity
Bishop Siluan highlighted that 2026 holds special significance for the life of the Church, recalling that it has been designated the Solemn Year of the Pastoral Care of the Christian Family and the Commemorative Year of the Holy Women of the Church calendar—myrrh-bearing women, martyrs, venerable women, wives and mothers.
Addressing Romanians in the diaspora, he underlined the essential role of the family, describing it as “often the only anchor of identity and faith”, and urged believers to regard it as the place where “Christ desires to be born and to grow each day”.
Myrrh-Bearing Women of Our Time
The Bishop of Italy spoke with gratitude of the “Holy Women—myrrh-bearers, venerable women and martyrs, as well as mothers and wives who, with a discretion full of strength, have kept the lamp of faith burning within our people”.
Referring to the realities of life in the diaspora, he noted that women “bear the burden of caring for the home and raising children in a Christian spirit, often in conditions of sacrifice abroad”, and are called “to become the myrrh-bearing women of our time, who through patience and prayer overcome the darkness of despair in the world”.
Prayer in the Family
Bishop Siluan offered several concrete pastoral exhortations for the beginning of the new year, calling on the faithful to sanctify time, cherish the family and honour Christian womanhood.
“Do not let a single day pass without a moment of prayer in the family. Ten minutes of prayer together are worth more than hours spent chasing material things,” the bishop said, also urging forgiveness, love and gratitude, so that the year 2026 may be lived under God’s blessing.
Photo: Diocese of Italy
