Cardinal Michael Czerny urges bishops to avoid “Herod Syndrome”

by Kati Dijane · October 3, 2025

Cardinal Czerny Homily IMBISA plenary

By Kati Dijane – Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, called on bishops and clergy in Southern Africa to reflect deeply on their ministry, embrace authentic desire for God, and work together to “rebuild the house of the Lord without delay.”

The Cardinal delivered this message in his homily during the evening Mass on September 25, at the conclusion of the day’s sessions at the 14th Plenary Assembly of the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA), held in Manzini, Eswatini, from 24–28 September. His visit to the region came just before his pastoral trip to South Africa, where he met migrant and refugee women at Bienvenu Shelter in Johannesburg.

Bringing with him the warm greetings of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Czerny spoke about the mission of his dicastery, which promotes integral human development and responds to the needs of migrants, refugees and people affected by conflict and climate crises. He also assured the bishops of the Holy Father’s prayers for the Church in Southern Africa.

“Herod sought to see Jesus”

Reflecting on the day’s Gospel reading (Luke 9:7-9), Cardinal Czerny noted that the short but profound passage invites Christians to examine their hearts and their ways of thinking and acting as disciples of Christ.

“Luke tells us that Herod sought to see Jesus,” he said. “The Gospels often describe the powerful impression Jesus made on the crowds — his words full of wisdom, his miracles, his authority unlike that of the scribes or Pharisees. Intrigued, even Herod wanted to see him.”

While Herod’s behaviour was incompatible with the law of Israel, the Cardinal said, his curiosity revealed “a very human desire to encounter God” — a desire that can open the door to recognising the face of God.

However, Cardinal Czerny warned of what he called the “Herod Syndrome”: the temptation to seek God superficially without allowing ourselves to be changed by his truth. “It is not possible to see the Lord Jesus without first accepting to be seen by him and to be stripped bare by his gaze of truth,” he explained. “His gaze is compassionate and loving, yet it reveals the real intentions of our hearts, unmasking sin and half-hearted admissions of guilt.”

Some believers, he cautioned, “try to see Jesus without opening themselves to him, without making room for the Gospel. We risk filling our time with unnecessary goals and postponing our encounter with God, saying, ‘tomorrow and tomorrow’.”

A call to action

Drawing on the prophet Haggai, whose words were proclaimed in the first reading, Cardinal Czerny reminded the assembly that the people of Israel delayed rebuilding the temple after returning from exile. “They wanted to worship God but constantly postponed their encounter with the Lord,” he said.

“Haggai twice warns us, ‘Consider your ways.’ Thinking in a believing way is not daydreaming but striving to unify our whole being – mind, heart and soul – to act in a manner worthy of the Lord and of our vocation. By reflecting in a believing way, we allow God to bridge the gap between thoughts and actions, between theology and pastoral care.”

He urged bishops to apply this call to their own ministry: “Let us not delay out of laziness or fear, but get busy with God’s work promptly, as his people deserve. Let us help each other read the signs of the times, resist corruption, career ambitions, and convenient compromises, and respond to the movements of the Spirit in history.”

Zacchaeus as the model disciple

In closing, Cardinal Czerny contrasted Herod’s curiosity with Zacchaeus, the tax collector in Luke’s Gospel who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus.

“Like Herod, Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but he took the trouble to climb the tree — a real gesture of openness,” the Cardinal said. “Instead of merely looking, he allowed himself to be seen, welcomed Jesus into his home, and changed his life. Zacchaeus found the secret Herod never looked for.”

He encouraged bishops and clergy to imitate Zacchaeus’ openness, so that the Church in Southern Africa can give a credible witness of faith and hope to the world.

Prayer for the suffering

At the end of the Mass, Cardinal Czerny invited the assembly to pray for countries at war, beginning with Cabo Delgado, the conflict-torn province of Mozambique. Bishop António Juliasse Ferreira Sandramo of the Diocese of Pemba shared the ongoing plight of thousands of displaced families in the region, lamenting that their suffering has been largely forgotten both within and outside Mozambique.

Continuing the mission of the dicastery

During his address, Cardinal Czerny highlighted the work of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, which supports local Churches in responding to issues such as migration, climate change and social justice.

His presence at the IMBISA plenary, themed “A Synodal Journey, Nourished by Compassion and Blossoming in Faith as Pilgrims of Hope”, underscored the Vatican’s commitment to accompanying the bishops of Southern Africa as they navigate the pastoral and social challenges of their region.