Pope Francis met privately with Italy’s bishops for two hours on November 22 as they began a four-day special assembly on “the synodal journey of the Church in Italy.”

The meeting took place in the Ergife Palace Hotel, where the bishops are holding their assembly.

Printed on a prayer card which the Pope distributed to the Italian episcopate, the “beatitudes of the bishop” were not written by Pope Francis, but by Archbishop Domenico Battaglia of Naples. They begin, “Blessed is the bishop who makes poverty and sharing his way of life, so that by his witness he is building up the kingdom of heaven.”