Raised by the inscrutable counsel of Divine Providence without any merit of our own to the Chair of the Prince of the Apostles, we hearkened to those words of Christ Our Lord addressed to Peter, "Feed my lambs, feed my sheep" (John xxii. 15-17) as spoken to Ourselves, and at once with affectionate love we cast our eyes over the flock committed to our care - a numberless flock indeed, comprising in different ways the whole human race.
Ad beatissimi Apostolorum Principis cathedram arcano Dei providentis consilio, nullis Nostris meritis, ubi provecti sumus, cum quidem Christus Dominus ea ipsa Nos voce, qua Petrum, appellaret, pasce agnos meos, pasce oves meas [1], continuo Nos summa cum benevolentiae caritate oculos in gregem, qui Nostrae mandabatur curae, convertimus; innumerabilem sane gregem, ut qui universos homines, alios alia ratione, complectatur.vatican.va vatican.va