On the day he marked 40 years of priestly ordination and 45 years of religious life, Bishop Paolo shared memories of his early steps, the surprises along the way, and the lessons he has learned.

“The keyword is surprise. Life is a surprise, life is vocation. Something new can always happen. And I am called to follow what happens. It’s not about a life plan—it’s about availability.”

A call, not a project
Bishop Paolo recalled how his journey began when he entered the Capuchin Order:
“I joined without any particular plan. At the beginning there was the meeting with the friars, especially with Fr. Manuel, my mentor. With him, I discovered that my desire was to follow this form of life. The question is not to have a project, but to be available to what happens.”

From the very start, surprises shaped his path—such as being sent to serve in a hospital for disabled children.

“I was not comfortable at first. It was a big challenge, but also an amazing adventure. I rediscovered faith through those whose lives were marked by illness. Accepting this call helped me find a new way of loving God and being with people.”

The value of friendship
According to Bishop Paolo, perseverance in religious life rests on two pillars: prayer and friendship.
“Prayer is the awareness of the relationship that gives meaning to life. Friendship means helping one another to persevere in our path. Without prayer and true friendship, it is impossible to remain faithful.”

He stressed the importance of facing difficulties without fear:
“Problems are not the problem. They can even become opportunities to renew our decision to follow Jesus, to say ‘yes’ once more. What is dangerous is to be alone. The devil always tries to isolate us. For me, it has been fundamental to have close friends with whom I could speak sincerely about struggles, doubts, and painful experiences.”

For this anniversary, four of his companions from Milan—ordained with him 40 years ago—came to celebrate together.

“It’s a gift and a joy to have them here. We have done many different things, but always stayed connected. This sense of belonging is truly a blessing.”

Life as vocation
Vocation, Bishop Paolo insisted, is not limited to religious or priestly life but is the foundation of every Christian life.

“In my years of teaching, I realized we cannot speak about specific vocations without first speaking about life itself as a vocation. This is a major issue for the Church today: many have lost this sense, and so vocations risk being misunderstood and seen as just another kind of job.”

Since his arrival in Abu Dhabi, he has placed this theme at the center of his ministry, through his pastoral letter Come and See and by forming a Vicariate-wide vocational team.

“The question is that we are called, that every moment in life is a gift. The most important pastoral work for vocations is to share this truth: life itself is vocation. Without this foundation, everything else could be misunderstood.”

This applies also to family life:
“How can one be faithful in marriage? By recognizing that life is vocation and that your relationship with God passes through your relationship with your spouse.”

Preparing the ground
The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia does not have seminaries or houses of formation, but several religious congregations are active, and each year some young people discern a call to consecrated life.

“We don’t have a structured system to accompany them into formation. But we can prepare the ground by spreading the awareness that life itself is vocation. This way, young people can recognize and embrace their call.”